ndustry wants Bill's loose ends tied up
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E INDUSTRY will make another I in its favour when the House irts work on it next week. his emerged after a meeting tween Transport Under Secrey Lynda Chalker and reprenatives of the Freight Transrt Association and Road ulage Association failed to 1 any further concessions on use 69C which, the associa tions fear, could seriously undermine established operators' businesses.
The Government has already gone a long way towards meeting many of the industry's objections to the Bill which, in its hesti ly-p re pa red original form, would have imposed very strict controls on all operators, and could have closed down established companies.
But concern persists over the fact that Section 69C gives Licensing Authorities powers to "attach such conditions to an operator's licence as appeared to him to be appropriate for the purpose of preventing or minimising any adverse effects on environmental conditions."
Both associations told Mrs Chalker that, while they accept the Government's intentions are honourable and that it is no part of the Bill's purpose for existing operators' activities to be put at risk, they want more in black and white.
ETA director general Hugh Featherstone told CM that both associations would prefer the exact limits of LAs' powers to be spelt out, especially as environmental activists are expected to play a noticeable part at future 0-licence inquiries.
Department of Transport legal advisers are confident that the Bill is sufficiently explicit, and that there is sufficient previous legal precedent in the planning system to ensure that un reasonable use cannot be made of the Bill's powers.
Mrs Chalker made clear to the two associations that she is not prepared to change the Bill any further in this area, but Mr Featherstone said "We shall still push strongly to try to win further changes."
With neither the Government nor its legal advisers convinced of the necessity of this, it is questionable whether they will succeed in persuading the Lords committee of their case.
Already, the Government has removed reference in the Bill to ancillary operating centres, has defined an operating centre as the base or centre at which a vehicle is normally kept, has placed an as yet undefined limitation on the persons able to make representations to an LA, and has removed any reference to the LA being able to prescribe the routes to be followed by vehicles.