Watch those newcomers
Page 51
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NEWCOMERS were allowed to enter the road haulage industry too easily by some of his Licensing Authority colleagues, John Hanlon, Northern area LA, told the Freight Transport Association conference last week at Eastbourne.
Speaking on "0-licensinghow I would change it," Mr Hanlon said that until we eliminated abuses that were unfair to genuine operators complying with the law the industry would continue to be plagued by ex-criminals and cowboys.
Mr Hanlon called for a combined approach by the FTA, RHA and British Rail to weed out dishonest and incompetent road hauliers from the industry.
Summing up Ms proposed reforms of the 0-licensing system, Mr Hanlon wanted standards of professional qualification or experience to be defined and graded.
There should be absolute minimum standards of financial resources. "Sufficient financial resources" should refer not only to cover proper maintenance but also working capital.
Convictions for certain serious crimes involving use of vehicles of any description should result in automatic disqualification from holding an 0-licence for a fixed period or up to limit of the period set by Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
The right of police to "object" to an 0-licence should be extended by 'statute to a duty to object or to provide the LA with the convictions involving liability to revocation included in S69.
There should be positive direction to rail of certain specific traffic following review by road rail negotiating committees.
Transport managers' licensing should be introduced for larger fleets at first and then progessively for smaller fleets. There 'should also be licensed apprenticeships or pupilage by way of employment under a licensed transport manager—to count towards qualifications for full licence.
No limited company ought to hold and 0-licence without naming the person who would act as transport manager— whether transport manager licensing applied or not.
To control part-time and "fly by night" dual employment, hgv and psv drivers' licences should be contained in one booklet containing : O Identification of holder • and particulars of ordinary driving licence; O Consolidation of expiry and renewal dates when holder has both hgv and psv licences; O Followed by pages to show authority and stamp or signature of employer to drive hgv or psv, as case may be, with : O Date of commeneement of employment; O Date of cessation of employment.
The liability for employers and drivers to observe hours regulations in dual or parttime employment should be absolute and defined.
Maj-Gen Elmslie, South Eastern LA, said he largely agreed with John Hanlon.
Earlier, Dr John Gilbert, Minister for Transport, had reminded the conference that at a recent meeting of the Council of Ministers he had asked for a two-year deferment of EEC directive 543/69, and had been supported by the Eire delegation.
Other ministers, he said, shared in varying degrees of warmth the British position. He had read in one newspaper that he would be hauled before the European Court. While there was no truth in this Britain had been told of the very serious legal difficulties arising from deferment. The EEC had written to the Minister on these tines but had also expressed sympathy with the present British difficulties.
Dr Gilbert said he intended making a further plea for deferment. There would be practical and legal difficulties if Britain did not get a •deferment but it would be foolish, at this stage, to speculate on the outcome.