"Fuel Machinery Unable to Cope"
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"TT is clear that the machinery for
handling fuel applications and allocations is quite unable to cope with the situation," stated Mr. Boyd Bowman, secretary of the National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses, on Tuesday. He forecast the widespread stoppage of long-distance road transport by the week-end unless immediate official action was taken.
Reports showed that in some traffic areas no applicants had received their supplementary allowances, and elsewhere the supplementary rations granted were so small that many businesses faced a shut-down in two or three weeks. Companies with heavy overheads and hire-purchase commitments were in the gravest difficulties. "Ruin and confusion" were likely.
The Conference wished the Minister of Transport to make an interim allowance to long-distance hauliers to cover a period of four weeks. This would save the large-scale laying-off of drivers and other employees.
The Ministry of Transport replied that the Regional Transport Commissioners were expediting the issue of the first instalment of the supplementary ration. Generally, hauliers would be entitled to some supplementary fuel, although not necessarily for longdistance work.