Under the Guillotine
Page 31
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Strike asked to make a heavy a Blow. at Road Transport contribution towards the Operators and Vehicle Suppliers achievement of national sol vency. Sympathy is due to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the unpleasant duty which he has to perform, and he is entitled to credit for undertaking unpopular but necessary measures in redressing the country's unbalanced economy. Road transport users accept more in sorrow than in anger the deprivations thrust upon them, but the Chancellor should be made fully aware of the serious effects of reducing to 60,000 the homemarket quota of commercial vehicles.
Last year's official allocation was 80,000 vehicles, but, in fact, about 100,000 were supplied. Even this number was entirely inadequate for the urgent needs of trade and industry at a time of rising output and exports. The shortage of light vehicles has been particularly acute and will become even worse this year. This is the more Unfortunate because light vans are not so robust, and are not normally so well maintained or driven as the heavier models, whilst requiring more frequent replacement. .
Apart froth increasing the burden and expense of maintenance, the continued operation of old vehicles is retarding the promotion of hygiene in the transport of foodstuffs, the need for which has been emphasized by many public authorities. The maintenance problem is, however, the most pressing of all, as "The Commercial Motor" pointed out last week.
Double Loss Spare parts are scarce and it is possible that skilled meehanics who are at present dealing with commercial vehicles may be attracted into armament factories. Commercial-vehicle operators and repairers thus face a double difficulty. The retail trade is particularly severely affected, for its revenue from the sale of new vehicles will be diminished and, because of the shortage of materials and labour, it may not be able to offset the loss by a greater turnover in repairs.
If operators are to be compelled to run obsoWcent vehicles, the Government lutist ensure that Manufacturers obtain sufficient materials to make an adequate supply of spare parts for current and past models. It must also refrain from depriving civilian industry of the skilled labour necessary to make-do-and-mend in transport.
Although sales on deferred terms have increased in the past 18 months, the Government's new restriction on hire-purchase business in commercial vehicles should not impose hardships on either operators or traders. The terms have usually accorded fairly closely with the Conditions which the Chancellor has now imposed (a minimum initial payment of 33i per cent. and the balance to be settled in 18 months), and there should be no undue restraint on trade.
Overseas Tours
The reduction of the overseas travel allowance from £50 to £25 is, however, likely to have unfortunate repercussions on the two dozen British operators of Continental tours. Payment for hotel accommodation and incidentals abroad is made from the traveller's overseas spending allowance, and on a 14-day tciur costing about £55, these 'items alone may ambunt to £30.
Consequently, many tours will have to be shortened, perhaps to 10 or 12.days, and operators may have to provide items such as cocktails and morning coffee within the inclusive price, taking supplies from this country. Only concerns which carry on their Continental tours a steady traffic in visitors from the Commonwealth and foreign countries can face the cut in travel allowances with an easy mind.
In industrial building the outldok is. also bleak. Many transport Managers are trying to dispatch goods and garage and maintain vehicles in premises built for far smaller outputs and to accommodate horsed carts, which made smaller demands than motor vehicles on space. Even when, with great difficulty, building licences have been obtained, premises cannot always be completed. Instances 'are on record of partly constructed garages which, cannot be roofed or completed in some other material feature, because a licence for the necessary steel cannot be obtained. Capital has been 'tied up to no purpose and inefficiency is perpetuated. Obstruction in traffic handling is only one of the great problems which the post-war era has imposed on the transport executive, and the Chancellor's plans will increase them. The management of road transport has assumed a complexity unknown before the war, but the increased responsibility of managers and engineers has not generally been recognized. Road transport engineers and traffic managers are still poorly paid and are not accorded the position in the industrial hierarchy to which their talents and responsibilities entitle them.
In advancing Budget Day to March 4, the Chancellor threatens further privations on the whole community. Transport managers and engineers will suffer with the rest, but commercialvehicle operators could lighten the burdens of their transport executives by raising their salaries and status in recognition of the wide knowledge and experience required in successful fleet management.