Haulage Service from Holland Delayed
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T ECHNICAL and legal difficulties I prevent the early realization of Dutch plans to extend international road haulage services to this country, writes our correspondent at the Hague. It is planned to provide a TilburyRotterdam ferry_
International transport by Dutch operators has grown immensely since the end of the war. In 1953, 1.000 Dutch vehicles made some 60,000 trips, covered 125 m. miles and carried about 60 per cent, of all international road traffic in Western Europe.
However, many countries consider that transport within their own borders should be done by their own nationals and regard haulage carried out by foreign concerns as undesirable competition. The Dutch say that international transport is a new form of haulage and all countries should open their borders.
For a time, Dutch hauliers were restricted in some countries, whilst foreign carriers were freely allowed in Holland. But a law will come into effect next Monday which will provide for the control of foreign hauliers in Holland—although it will be administered "with the utmost flexibility," British objections against Dutch plans are mainly on technical grounds. Continental vehicles cannot satisfy our Construction and Use and other regulations. The employment of trailers and semi-trailers might solve the problem, but coupling gears present an obstacle.
The way out might be to base tractors of the Dutch type in Britain and of the British type in Holland to handle both kinds of semi-trailer.