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RHA chairman
John Wells invites critics to support campaign for better roads — and 'saboteurs' get a warning
by CM reporter
▪ Mr John Wells, the RHA chairman, made a spirited attack on "buck-passing" local councillors, MPs, pressure groups and Young Liberals, when he appeared on the BBC television programme Nationwide on Tuesday evening.
Mr Wells confronted Canterbury Town Councillor J. Butler whose council had that day decided, subject to Government approval, to ban all vehicles in excess of 10 tons or 36ft from Canterbury. Such a ban w ould divert vehicles making for Dover on to the already overcrowded A20, Mr Wells pointed out.
The RHA chairman condemned what he called the buck-passing attitude of councillors and local government officials that as long as their local problem was cleared any consequent problem posed was for another or higher authority to deal with.
Mr Christopher Gay, Canterbury's town clerk, had said earlier in the day that although the vehicles would be diverted to A20 "it is not thought to be an ideal road but the city council take the view that that is the Ministry's problem".
On the Nationwide programme, Mr Wells said that, Canterbury had failed to press strongly enough its claim for a by pass. By next March by-passes would either have been built or started for all villages affected by heavy goods vehicle traffic on the Dover trunk road.
Cfir Butler said that by banning heavy goods vehicles, Canterbury was making its protest to the Ministry.
Mr Wells pointed out that Canterbury was, in fact, presenting road hauliers with yet another problem. The goods would still have to move and the onus would then be on the haulier or his driver to find a way to the port. "We've got to find our way around demonstrators and people lying on the road — a nasty and silly thing for them to do," he said.
Road hauliers were just as concerned about the peotection of the environment as the conservationists. "We have no wish to damage the road or the environment," he said, and pointed out that hauliers paid — and paid very well — for the use of the highways. Instead of the responsibility being passed along the line until it landed with the road haulier, they should all get together and make representation in the proper place for action, Mr Wells's remark was taken by the interviewer Michael Barran as an invitation to Canterbury Council to join the Road Haulage Association in its own efforts to improve traffic conditions, Cllr Butler was non-committal in his reply.
Meanwhile the police, the AA and the Freight Transport Association have all criticized the proposed ban and together with the RHA are expected to lodge objections with Canterbury's town clerk within 21 days. The police, it is reported, say they could not enforce the ban. The AA says there is a lack of suitable alternative routes.
• Also on Tuesday Mr Wells attacked pressure groups who were carrying out acts of sabotage on lorries and, in particular, he warned the Young Liberals that drilling holes in tyres was not only stupid but an extremely dangerous practice. The RHA chairman was referring Eo acts of sabotage in London's East End over the weekend, when windscreens had been sprayed to blank out drivers' vision and then, according to reports, because this activity took too long, the saboteurs had drilled holes in tyres.
It is understood that 35 heavy vehicles suffered damage amounting to over £4500. On Tuesday, the London Road Transport Stewards Committee said that while it was aware of the strong feeling against heavy goods vehicles, it would not tolerate sabotage. Driver members had been advised to resist attacks on their vehicles by any means at their disposal.
"While we are anxious to avoid violence, any unpleasant consequences brought about by sabotage on our means of livelihood will be upon the heads of those who persecute them," said the Committee.