I refer to your report from the Mercedes International Transport

20th October 1978, Page 30

20th October 1978

Page 30

Page 30, 20th October 1978 — I refer to your report from the Mercedes International Transport

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seminar at Montreaux and in particular to the remarks made by Dr Anton Heines.

He is absolutely correct. obstacles and obstructions should be removed to facilitate cross-border traffic within the Community. Apart from the very obvious necessity of security checks, other controls are not in accord with the object or the spirit of the Treaty of Rome.

Again, I agree with Dr Heines that we do not require a common transport policy. Any citizen of one member-State visiting another is bound by the law of the land he is visiting. Why is it necessary to treat transport operation differently?

Yes indeed, why should we chase "Utopian dreams"? Let us each adopt our own policy on hours, weights, dimensions, speeds, tachographs — but designed for road safety. Each year accident causes should be analysed and where there is a recurring cause, appropriate legislation should be introduced to remove the cause.

But it is also perhaps a Utopian dream to suggest that road safety, rather than economics or political dogma, should be the controlling factor in a discussion. I suppose as long as the rail services of Europe continue to lose money, they will be propped up by the application of restrictive legislation on road transport.

This practice is a short-term expedient. It has an adverse effect on the economy in the medium and long-term.

COLIN GAVIN, Willmington, Kent