HGV DRIVING LICENCES TO BE RE-ISSUED
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MEMBERS of the Road Haulage Association were told at their annual dinner in London on Wednesday that licences for drivers of heavy goods vehicles are to be re-introduced. Issue of HGV drivers' licences was suspended at the beginning of the last war, due to shortage of examiners, and they were never brought back.
The Minister of Transport, Mr. Tom Fraser, gave the news in a speech at the dinner. He reminded those present that he had been considering the move for some time and the RHA had shown preference for a scheme which embodied special driving tests. He had decided to accept this proposal. Some tricky details still had to be worked out, and examiners had to be recruited and trained, but they would get ahead as fast as they could.
Mr. Fraser congratulated the RHA on its helpful attitude towards his consideration of annual testing of heavy goods vehicles and its support for plating of goods vehicles. He hoped to report some progress at his end soon.
He promised publication of the Geddes Report on carriers' licensing by the end of June.
Welcoming the national council's decision to defer the recommended rates increase (see story above), he said reference of the matter to the Prices Board did not mean the Government judged the increase excessive. Nor did they overlook that some recent cost rises were directly attributable to Government decisions (Mr. Brown had different views, see page 25).
The Minister also spoke about co-ordination of transport, particularly between road and rail, plans for which he hoped to bring forward by the end of the year. he said. He instanced parcels services, siting of road haulage depots in relation to rail depots, siting of bus stations near railway stations, and investment policies as avenues for road-rail co-ordination.
It was hardly likely that road haulage would diminish in size, he said. It was indispensable but must be society's servant, not master.
RHA national chairman, Mr. A. R. Butt, called for increased road expenditure and freedom of movement. He told industry it must turn vehicles round faster and accept out-of-hours deliveries. There was fierce competition in Oxing rates, so referring them to the Prices Board could only damage its prestige.