'Hours delay is treaty breaking'
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
UNLESS EEC transport ministers reach a compromise on the hours and tachograph issues at their December meeting, the European Commission will regard any delay in implementing Regulation 543/69 on January 1, 1976, is a failure to comply with Britain's obligations under the Treaty of Rome.
This became clear this week in the aftermath of the Ministers Luxembourg meeting (CM last week).
However, an influential report in Europe admits that the implementation of the EEC hours and tachograph law by January 1 would be impossible for Britain.
The report shows that it was France that initially raised the 543/69 issue at the meeting when its Minister pointed out that the regulation was difficult to apply and should be revised. The British Minister, John Gilbert, then said that it would be absurd to ask Britain to apply a regulation shortly due for revision. This was a point also stressed by the Danish and Irish Ministers.
The Commission has also accepted that the vexed issue of weights and dimensions is now a political problem calling for a political decision. This follows deadlock at the last meeting, when the original six member States stuck to their 11-tonne axle and 40 tonnes gross figures while the British Minister said that even those people in the UK who voted "yes" at the Referendum were against any increase in existing weight limits.
EEC quota levels, as exclusively reported in CM last week, are the subject of considerable dispute, with Britain objecting to the Commission's proposed allocation system.
Despite this the DoE is now inviting operators to apply for 1976 permits. Although the total number of these permits cannot be resolved until the December meeting it wants to avoid delay by processing applications in advance.
Operators who require permits — and they will be offered first to the "best" users in 1975 —should apply now to the International Road Freight Office, 36/42 Low Friar Street, Newcastle on Tyne (tel Newcastle 610031). Applications should be sent in by December 1. EEC permits are for hire or reward operations only and for use with complete motor vehicles, not unaccompanied trailers.
Despite last week's news in CM that the EEC Commission had turned down Britain's submission on hours and tachographs the Freight Transport Association has not altered its advice to members that they should wait for a definitive statement from the DoE before fitting the devices.
Meanwhile, Mr Alan Law, Birmingham's influential transport union boss, told CM this week that there was no chance that the union would ever accept the instrument. He pointed out that once the two million-strong union had made a decision it stuck to it. His statement came despite a recent explanation to Birmingham union men from Dr Gilbert that tachographs would eventually become law.