Future of Licensing
Page 37
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I N the light of rather more publicity than they would have liked, the Road Haulage Association (as reported on the next page) have now produced their memorandum to the Geddes Committee inquiring into carriers' licensing. The memorandum is based on the report submitted to the R.H.A. national council last May by the study group headed by Mr. F. Wheeler. It pust. be clearly understood for what it is—a document the fundamental importance of which cannot be overstated so far as road hauliers are concerned.
Not surprisingly, the R.H.A. favours continuing licensing control; but is there not a danger inherent in their proposed restrictions on newcomers' entry that if the industry becomes too much of a closed shop, therein will lie encOuragement for evasion of those restrictions? By all mcans seek to raise levels by minimum standards for new entrants to attain: but leave the front door open. This is the Only way to keep the many back doors firmly shut.
Their recommendation that licences should be based on carrying capacity is logical, particularly if linked to a plating scheme, and should help to reduce the incidence of overloading (with its attendant troubles). Equally welcome is the evidence of forward-thinking in the insistence that any new licensing system should not be radically out of step with current Continental practices.
This 30-page memorandum deserves the closest study. It may well form the basis of the next licensing system—for the present one is certainly going to be changed.