Hauliers respond
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• More and more hauliers are writing to Commercial Motor to complain about the difficulties their companies face every time they try to get international journey permits.
Many tell us they are losing valuable contracts and return loads because of the permits shortage. Others complain that they have been trying to improve their quota situation — without success — for many years.
Philip Neophytou of Alpha Transport (London) says: "I have a general quota allocation of 92 French, 12 Italian and 15 Spanish permits, and I have
not got enough Italian or Spanish permits to carry out my contracts.
"When I applied for Spanish permits last October, I was shocked to be told, without any prior warning, that all of the Spanish quota had been used up. To me, this shows the lack of importance afforded to our livelihood. What were we supposed to do — park up and go home for the year? We were left with a pathetic excuse to give to our customers and bankers.
"This year I have written to the International Road Freight Office in Newcastle-uponTyne sending them copies of letters from my customers detailing the number of journeys on which they would require our services. Maybe it's not up to IRFO to increase the British quota — but surely they could find a fairer system for allocating the quota.
"All we want to do is work, within the EEC, of which the UK is a member. The black market in permits only exists because IRFO allows it to exist. I am sure they could find a method where the permits are not transferable and those which are surplus are returned quickly to IRFO." G W Kitchener of Kitcheners Transport of Stanwick, near Wellingborough, Northants, says: "I started as an owner driver in 1973 and have gradually built up the business to four vehicles, two of which I try to run continuously to the Continent. In 1980 I started running to France and Portugal, having acquired the permits by backloading.
"We have a quota of 47 French permits which were all used last year. We have not been granted an increase for 1987.
"Last September we took on a contract with a British company delivering their goods to Spain. As Spanish permits were not on quota at the time we thought it would be good business. The customer told us that there would be two loads every three weeks and this worked well because we applied for permits to keep us going until December, and received them.
"When it was announced in October that no more permits would be available for this year — and that next year's allocation would be on quota — you can imagine our surprise.
"But that was nothing compared to our surprise when we received a quota of only 10 Spanish general quota permits for 1987. We had already invested in a new vehicle — a Scania 112 — and employed a driver for our Spanish contract. Now we face serious problems. We cannot do very much work with only 10 permits.
"We have spoken and written to IRFO but have received no help at all. 1RFO has invited us to apply for an EEC book, but IRFO knows perfectly well that we don't have enough permits to bid for one.
"Are we supposed to just give away all of our hard earned contracts?"