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Retain This Image, Hauliers are Urged

14th March 1958, Page 99
14th March 1958
Page 99
Page 99, 14th March 1958 — Retain This Image, Hauliers are Urged
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

'IN order to counter the advertising I campaign of the British Transport Commission and to meet the threat of senationalizatiori, the Road Haulage Association must reinforce the image, held by the majority of the public who took an interest in transport,of an industry of hard-working men providing a highly efficient personal service at reasonable rates, and deserving of sympathy because of the persecution they had suffered.

The association's public relations officer, Mr. Frank Lyon, said this at Wrexham, last week, when he addressed a joint meeting of the Cheshire, Flintshire and Wrexham Sub-areas.

Members could play an-important part in such a campaign by introducing pension schemes for their staffs, supporting safe-driving competitions, and participating in the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition. They should remember that the public were apt to judge the fitness of vehicles by their appearance.

Moreover, the many members who took an active part in local government and, affairs should not be shy about letting their activities be known. The local 'Press provided an excellent means for publicizing the activities of the Association and individual members. The opportunity should not be lost of getting publicity when new premises were opened, new services were started. or when an unusual load was carried.

Referring to the problems of farmers' vehicles, Mr. Lyon said there were flagrant abuses of the law, but the difficulties of enforcement prevented Licensing Authorities from taking drastic action. Suggestions that the law should be altered had been pressed fairly strongly more than once at national level, but the difficulty was tpofold.

It was not easy to find a form of words that would exactly limit the farmer with a C licence, and there was the objection that once an alteration was proposed in the law, the politicians, some of whom were known not to be fond of hauliers, would take the opportunity to put in a number of amendments of their own.

Co-operation with the National Farmers Union had failed to achieve many results, particularly because the majority of the culprits could hardly be described as farmers at all.

Sub-areas could help to keep this matter before the public by collecting evidence and forwarding it to the appropriate authorities.

Speakers at local functions should make a point of bringing the matter up, and it could be kept a live issue by sending letters and information to the local Press, the technical Press, and the R.H.A. journal. When the time seemed appropriate for action, resolutions should be sent 'to ana committees.


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