MONDAY, „UGUST 20, 1984
13
PROPOSALS FOR THE SOLUTIONS
LICENCE FEES
ON 13TH AUGUST, 1984, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT PROPOSED TO THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS THAT THE $20 TRAILER FEE SHOULD BE PAYABLE ONLY ON THAT PORTION OF THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF THE TRAILER WHICH IS ACTUALLY BORNE BY THE TRAILER, ON THE GROUNDS THAT A FEE IN RESPECT OF THE PORTION OF THE TRAILER'S GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT BORNE BY THE TRACTOR MAY BE SAID TO BE INCLUDED IN THE LICENCE FEE FOR THE TRACTOR WHICH IS ALSO PAYABLE ON A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT BASIS.
ON 16TH AUGUST, 1984, THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPRESENTATIVES FOUND THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL UNACCEPTABLE AND HAD COUNTER-PROPOSED AN INCREASE IN FEES WHICH WOULD AFFECT NO TRAILER BY MORE THAN 45 PER CENT IN 1984 WITH A FURTHER INCREASE OF 15 PER CENT IN 1985, AS LONG AS THERE WAS NO ACCOMPANYING INCREASE IN THE LICENCE FEE FOR TRACTORS. THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WAS ASKED TO GIVE A REPLY BY 18TH AUGUST, 1984.
THE LATEST PROPOSAL ABOUT THE TRAILER LICENCE FEE MADE BY THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS AND OPERATORS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT BUT THE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THAT ITS OWN PROPOSAL TO LEVY THE LICENCE FEE ON MOST PART OF A TRAILER'S GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT BORNE EXCLUSIVELY BY THE TRAILER IS BOTH FAIR AND REASONABLE ON ITS OWN, AND FURTHERMORE THAT IT GOES MOST OF THE WAY TOWARDS MEETING THE SCALE OF INCREASE IN LICENCE FEES WHICH THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS' REPRESENTATIVES THEMSELVES PROPOSE.
THE FEES UNDER THE REVISED METHOD OF CALCULATION ARE AS SHOWN IN THE ATTACHED TABLE. IN TERMS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL NO TRAILER OWNER WOULD PAY MORE IN LICENCE FEES THAN HE SHOULD IN RELATION TO ANY OTHER TRAILER OWNER. SOME MIGHT PAY AS MUCH AS $150 LESS THAN AT PRESENT, OTHERS AS MUCH AS $850 MORE BUT EACH OWNER WOULD PAY ACCORDING TO THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF HIS OWN VEHICLES. MOST OWNERS WOULD PROBABLY PAY BETWEEN $450 AND $600 MORE THAN AT PRESENT. THE AVERAGE INCREASE WOULD BE ABOUT 61 PER CENT SO IT IS APPARENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSAL NOT ONLY SECURES TRAILER OWNERS A MUCH LOWER INCREASE THAN AT FIRST MOOTED BUT IT ALSO ACHIEVES A FAIR MEANS OF CHARGING IN RESPECT OF GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT. TO ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE A GENERAL 45 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE FEES AS THE CONTAINER VEHICLE OWNERS' REQUEST WOULD, UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, NOT BE DIFFICULT TO ARRANGE, BUT AT THIS JUNCTURE WHEN THE BASIS OF CHARGING IS MOVING FROM A FEE BASED ON UNLADEN WEIGHT TO THE FAIRER BASIS OF CHARGING (ON GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT) FOR WHAT THE CONTAINER VEHICLE CAN ACTUALLY CARRY, SUCH A MOVE WOULD DEFEAT THE OBJECT OF THE NEW LEGISLATION.
/CONSEQUENILY, THE