P 'At the end of a 15-hour
Page 47
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day UK drivers deserve better facilities'
jL ast year I realised the time had arrived for drivers to have their say
so! launched the Trucker's Turn campaign to protest against the lack of professional recognition given to the struggling British truck driver. Now, with the backing of Ipswich carrier Linnian Freight, I travel all over Europe gathering information from drivers.
Britain became part of the Single Market this year and needs to bring road safety measures, lorry parking and driver facilities in line with Continental standards.
The Government leaves the responsibility for providing truck parks in the hands of private developers—this could lead to a danger that EC road safety standards are not met due to insufficiently rested drivers.
At the end of a 15-hour day, UK drivers deserve better facilities than those on offer. Truckstops charging £7.50 for overnight parking are acceptable to this Government yet there is no watchdog for the truckstops.
Truckstops say the fee covers LGV damage to roads, kerbs and verges plus land rates, insurance, tarmac costs and a £5 meal voucher. Why not charge £2.50 and scrap the meal voucher?
Other European countries provide free overnight parking for drivers and their governments set aside designated laybys with good basic facilities. When will Britain be forced to font w their example?
Prices at truckstops show that they are conscious of the drivers' overnight tax-free allowance, negotiated between the Road Haulage Association and the Inland Revenue. But there are moves to tax this allowance.
Lack of decent facilities force drivers to park up in busy laybys and side streets, ever fearful of the growing threat of violence. And being subjected to a continuous flow of traffic is not the ideal way to rest after a busy day.
If only ordinary people realised the conditions under which our drivers work they might take up the issue of road safety with their MPs. An LGV road awareness campaign would benefit the public but the Department of Transport says it will not implement such a scheme because it does not believe it will benefit anyone.
If the public were made to realise the size, weight and lengi h of LGVs, fewer accidents would occur. The Government could introduce transport industry training schemes for newcomers. Many admin clerks organising driver routeing do not understand tachograph regulations and think a lorry can fly as the crow does.
Night bans on lorries may delight peace seekers and conservationists but the consequence for hauliers is bankruptcy and unemployment. Restricting the movements of trucks has devastating consequences and an exposure campaign would eliminate complaining bodies.
Drivers are forced to travel thmug at night because councils fail to pro\ designated parking areas resulting i searching endlessly for somewhere 1 Local authorities view truck park downmarket: "They need to park so but not in our town." The intmductit motorway tolls will make this problt as many trucks will tend to use mon residential routes. Let's have council truckstops, financed by the millions every year in LGV licences and fines would also create jobs.
When I asked the DOT about the consequences of night-time lorry ba: told: "This department is very much the implications of the freight transr industry, the development of which] central to creating the high standard enjoyed in Britain today." Surely, if tl really believes this, it could offer son of "high standard of living" in returt deprived British truck driver. /
D Trucker's Turn is at 511 Norwich Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 61T If you want to sound off about a rc transport issue write to features edite Patric Cunnane