Tramping disastrous warning
Page 19
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STRONG CRITICISMS of the effects of some Transport Bill proposals were voiced at a joint meeting of the East and West Midland areas of the National Conference of Road Transport Clearing Houses at Leicester on Tuesday.
Referring to the temptation of road hauliers to "tramp" under 10-ton capacity vehicles in an effort to retain freedom of choice for their customers, the chairman, Mr. G. 0. Cox (Federated Road Transport Services Ltd.), said this would be economically disastrous: "You would never know what your vehicles were doing—it would be sure road to ruin."
Mr. H. C. F. Squire, general secretary of the organization, said the meeting was the first of a number of provincial meetings arranged to canvass the opinion of members, with a view to formative action by the National Council. The iniquitous features of the Bill would be resolutely opposed, though the quality licensing proposals were fully supported; in fact many members believed they were overdue. There was also support for the requirements that new entrants to the industry must be professionally qualified.
Mr. Squire said the Conference membership, nationally, operated 8,000 vehicles. The National Conference wished to play its part in deluging MPs, Ministers and others concerned to ensure the radical pruning of the Bill's worst features. Mr. Cox said his firm would have to pay an additional £15,000 in the new road haulage taxes. It was wrong to deprive customers of their freedom of choice.
Members present were not opposed to the nine hours driving limitation but they urged that the spreadover should be 12 hours instead of the 11 proposed.
It was felt that the rail deficit financing and the subsidized commuter rail services would provide a concealed subsidy for Freightliner operations.
Rate rise halted
BRADFORD and District Road Hauliers Federation has agreed to suspend the imposition of the 23 per cent increase on wool haulage charges for Liverpool to Bradford traffic pending a meeting with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board.
Last month the Federation announced the increase together with a rise of 7+ per cent for general wool haulage rates to take effect from January 1 (CM, December 22). The hauliers claimed their action was justified because of heavy costs incurred in collecting import cargoes from Merseyside.
At a meeting of the Federation last week, the committee decided that, following an approach from the Board, the surcharge would be suspended pending the outcome of the meeting scheduled for next week.