Voice of quality seldom heard
Page 37

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WITH REFERENCE to your editorial of November 1, I must point out that the RHA's directorgeneral's comments at the Scarborough Conference on the subject of quality as opposed to quantity licensing made it very clear that the present system of quality licensing could and should be substantially improved.
Your assertion that the RHA "fails to make its voice heard in the courts in the cause of quality" appears to ignore the difficulties faced by the Association in this field. Though most of our objections to applications for Operators' licences have been successful, they have been few. There are reasons for this.
In practical terms the grounds
for objections are restrictc Grounds relating to the sincer of applicants' intentions to c serve drivers' hours restrictiol to avoid overloading and to E sure the maintenance of vehicl are virtually impossible invoke. So, too, are those rel ing to the suitability of operating centre ever since 1 Association's unsuccessful tempt, through an appeal to 1 Transport Tribunal, to get tl matter clarified.
There remain only t grounds of objection which re to applicant's finances and to previous conduct. Before cit such grounds, in respect which details have to be p vided in the notice of objecti the Association has to obt and carefully check within days evidence which only members can provide.
The RHA would appear m frequently as an objector to plications for the grant or variation of Operators' licen if more of its members wo more often and more promj supply the required informati Your editorial serves as a tinreminder that the effectiven of the Association's work re upon its members' pa rticipati
E. W. RUSSELL Secretary Road Haulage Association London WC1