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T'd like to reply to DG Buffrey's letter 1(01/13-19 March). In compliance with the EC 2nd Directive on the harmonisation of driving tests and licences, staged testing was introduced on 1 January 1997. This means that a person passing a car test is restricted to cars and needs to take further training and a test before being allowed to drive larger vehicles.
Drivers wishing to drive goods vehicles over 3,500g and PCVs now have to pass a test on a rigid vehicle before taking a test on a vehicle drawing a trailer. This is an improvement on the previous system, where drivers passing
the old Class 2 or 3 before April 1991 could drive a drawbar trailer without taking a trailer test.
It should he the case, with the aid of trainers, that new drivers are more knowledgeable and have obtained more supervised driving practice than the drivers trained under the old system.
From my experience trainers welcome this new system as an opportunity to increase the knowledge of new drivers to the industry as the training period is now extended.
Robin G Cummins,
Chief driving examiner, DSA, Nottingham.
Icannot believe what I read in my paper (Daily Mail 17 March). Steven Norris was reported as saying he believes it "wrong to pander to traffic growth for the sake of frustrated motorists". He is also reported to say: "I think the protesters were right. I would say that I was broadly lined up with them in the sense that I take the view that you can't pander to infinite traffic growth".
Is this the same Steven Norris picked to head the Road Haulage Association? He is quoted in the January 1997 issue of Truck as saying: "I think the RHA sees me as someone who knows what the industry is about, and far more importantly, understands the political and governmental debate".
He is also quoted as saying: "Taking politicians at their word is naive at the best of times."
I think it is about time someone explained to Mr Norris that the R in RI-IA is for road. The haulage industry has got enough misguided people trying to prevent
them from running their business without Mr Norris giving them ammunition to shoot the industry down. All road users need new roads to be built and, more importantly, the roads we already have must be improved and maintained properly. All road-going vehicles (except bicycles) pay road tax: this should be used for new roads and the upkeep of the others before it is used for other things.
If the Government wants to get its hands on extra money let it introduce a vignette on vehicles from countries that operate them. If it can charge our hauliers then surely it would be happy for Britain to do the same. If all road users unite, we could all get a better deal for everyone who uses our roads.
Kenneth Allen, Kilkeet, County Down.
Driving ban protest
On the weekend that the driving ban for commercial vehicles returning to the UK was brought in by the French government—one of the things that brought to an end the French lorry drivers' strike last year—we received a fax from the FTA saying the Spanish government has also brought in driving restrictions and bans for holiday and weekends.
I feel that it is now time for the UK haulier to say enough is enough. With a general election not many weeks away we should kxik for assurances from the prospective parties that they are going to fight for the UK
haulier in Europe and allow us to compete on a level playing field. I feel very strongly that to put our case over there needs to he some drastic action, and to this effect my managing director and myself along with all our available drivers will within the next month blockade all the exits from Dover to all non-UK/Irish vehicles.
This is to show our feelings over the way our compensation claims for the recent disruption in France and Greece are being administered, along with a protest over the latest driving bans and restrictions.
It has now come to the time where I feel that for the UK haulier to compete in Europe we need to bring in our own set of driving bans and restrictions for holidays and weekends.
Let us keep off our roads the Europeans who deny us access to theirs. We should also set up toll-booths at all ports of entry so that all foreign hauliers/drivers have to pay to enter our road system. We need to take action now—or are we going to sit back like scared rabbits and allow Europe to continue walking all over the UK haulier? If you feel like joining our protest then please do not hesitate to contact us: phone, 01933 271666; fax, 01933 274466.
Clifford A Skingley, Transport manager,
JS Cook and Son European Transport, Unit.? Lawrence Leyland Complex, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 1RT