Editorial Vlore flexibility, Mr King
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THE PROPOSAL to sell off the Goods Vehicle Test stations was privatisation for its wn sake and not in the interest of improving standards, then Tom King has done well to aandon the idea. lithe matter had been pursued, then we believe that Lloyd's Register f Shipping would have been the best organisation to control it.
There was one flaw in the argument for Lloyd's. Such a move would have created a ionopoly and there is no way of judging how test fees might have escalated in the next lw years. .There is still a flaw in the Government monopoly. Test stations are open during the :orking day when vehicles should be on the road earning money. Perhaps Mr King will ow look at a more flexible working week for test stations. Night shift and weekend :forking seem appropriate.
For their part, operators must step up the maintenance standards. While a vehicle can e prepared to pass the test once a year, its day by day condition is much more nportant.
In 98,000 checks last year 14 per cent of the ahicles received prohibitions. That figure much too high and indicates that there is ill much to be done in this most important :ea of operation.