‘R’ is still for Rubbish

It is now more than two years since I had the privilege of being invited and meeting the ERRI Group. Two years on and they are still harping on about introducing an R licence which, without doubt, nobody wants. I was assured by Brian Hagan at the time that they were not about to introduce new regulations, so why are they still pursuing this issue like a bulldog with a wasp in its mouth. I suspect it was always about trying to do something that made a difference whether for better or worse: making a difference is the lifeblood of any voluntary committee.

Like everyone else, I don’t know what this R licence is all about. Once again would they be kind enough to explain, in items 1 – 10 or whatever, what would be the advantage of having an R licence and, if they are bold enough, the disadvantages.

More so now than ever before we are all dreadfully short of work, which means no spare money. I would also hope that the work-providing clubs realise that if there is any more restriction put on our ability to provide around-the-clock emergency service we will just fail to provide. It will become legislatively impossible to work after hours in the ad hoc manner that many of us have to do. I was told the other day that one (not big) recovery club has lost over 250 agents in the last 8 years and now cannot fill the void areas. How many more will have to give up?

I ask myself: am I the odd ball? But then I realise I have not found one single operator anywhere or even one person outside of that committee that wants this damned R licence.

The problem with these things is that they are not about common-sense they are about politics and headstrong people.

I am re-running this article for people who might have missed it the first time as the Road Rescue and Recovery Association try to make operators aware of the folly, especially since VOSA appear not to want to be bothered, which as far as I am concerned immediately discredits any thought of a voluntary licence. Hopefully it could become such a farce that these people who are instigating the issue could lose credibility, which would be no bad thing.

One thing for sure anybody who thinks a R licence will increase work and not cost money is living in cloud cuckoo-land

Fred Henderson,
Breakdown Doctor.
September 2012