Brussels boosts UK permit share
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• Britain's share of the EEC permit quota has leapt to 1,265 licences this year, and to 1,771 in 1989, following the transport ministers' historic agreement in Luxembourg this week to launch a free haulage market in Europe from 1993.
Under the deal the quota rises by 40% this year and by the same amount in 1989.
The share-out now agreed in Brussels will be as follows: Decisions on the size of the quota from 1990 have still to be made. But the quota is due to be scrapped entirely by 1993 when it will be replaced by "community licences".
Meanwhile the EEC is making more progress towards harmonising the rules of competition — which the Germans made a condition before agreeing to accept cabotage.
All governments now support the EEC proposal that 1% of tachograph discs must be checked each year — 15% by police on the road and 25% in the depots.
Britain has not yet formally accepted the agreement because Parliament has so far not discussed it.
MoT test intervals for light goods vehicles will vary across the EEC, from four to two years.
The EEC check list means that in Britain a few extra items, such as rear fog lights and exhaust fumes, will have to be inspected.
Much work, however, remains to be done by fiscal experts before there is an agreement on finding an acceptable way of taxation which does not give any country an unfair advantage.