DON'T FEAR THE DUTCH Steven Norris's warning that Dutch operators
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plan to attack the UK food distribution market after changes to cabotage regulations sounds a bit like the classic pantomime warning..."behind you!". If the Road Haulage Association thinks Dutch operators have the UK in their sights it should be looking at the facts, rather than listening to whispers. The country the Dutch really want to have a go at is Germany. Figures from the Dutch trade association, the KNV, show how well they're doing so far. Last year Dutch operators picked up 553,000 tonne/kilometres within Germany under calootage rules, compared with 52,000 in Italy and 51,000 in Britain. The KNV notes: "International hauliers from the Netherlands have used their cabotage permits intensively." They see Germany as a ripe, over-protected plum which is ripe for picking. What's ironic about Norris's comments is that, given Dutch hauliers' average return on revenue, it's a miracle they carry anything at all. According to the latest statistics from the Dutch research institute NEA, in 1997 their domestic operators managed a return on revenue of just 1.6% (down from 3.0% in 1987). Despite relatively cheap diesel and low VED, Dutch international hauliers made just 0.7% (down from 4.6% 10 years ago). And you thought things were tough in Britain! Judging by those figures Dutch oper ators stand a better chance of making a quick guilder by staying at home rather than moving in on the desperately competitive UK market with its higher costs and the toughest enforcement regime in the EU. Instead of looking for Continental bogeymen the RHA should simply tell the Chancellor how many UK operators have gone bust since the start of 1998. If that isn't a persuasive argument for its Essential User Rebate then nothing is.