End Road Transport Control, Says Liverpool Chamber nECONTROL of the road transport
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industry is urged by the Road Transport Section of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. The Section has passed a resolution, which has been endorsed by the Council . of the Chamber, for submission to the M.O.W.T., the Association of British Chambers of Commerce and the Mem= berg of Parliament for Liverpool and district, in the following terms:— " This Council is agreed that the control of road transport goods services and traffic movements, as exercised through the Government Road Haulage Organization, is prejudicial to the requisite operation and development of road transport as related to the needs of commerce and industry in general, and the export trade in particular, and can be justified only as a war measure.
" The Council urges that the Road Haulage Organization should cease ,to function at the earliest moment consistent with ruling conditions, but not later than December 31, 1945. It is also essential that, in the best interests of commerce and industry, the freedom of the trader to arrange his own traffic movements should be fully restored as soon as possible. • " During the transitional period from war-time to peace-time conditions, the Council recommends that movements of Government-controlled traffic, as now directed by the Ministry's Road Haulage Organization, should be arranged through a new trade body, to be organized solely for that purpose.
" In addition, the Council recommends that the restrictive 'controls exercised through the various Statutory Rules and Orders be removed and, in this connection, particular reference is made to Regulation 73B, 1944."
Supporting this resolution at last week's meeting of the Chamber, Mr. R. B. Stockdale said the Section felt that the Government's present strangle. hold of the industry cut out all initiative and completely held up post-war planning. The Government R.H.O. did a good job of work, viewed from the angle of its objectives and what had been achieved, but. caving to the methods adopted and the particular aims pursued, there was very little in common with sound commercial practice. If carried into the post-war period, it would undoubtedly -prove to be both a wasteful and uneconomic. arrangement.