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HOW MUCH DO UK HAULIERS DISLIKE FOREIGN CABOTAGE
Page 40
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Most UK hauliers will tell you that they dislike foreign competition in domestic markets not because they are afraid of competition, but because they think it is inequitable. Foreign operators have cheaper fuel and less rigorous safety standards, so their costs are cheaper. Until they are the same, open competition will not work, say many.
But there are dissenters. Ian Baxter, managing director of European specialist RH Freight, says that the UK transport industry "should not be afraid" of a fully liberalised transport market.
His argument is both environmental (less empty running) and economic (a free market benefits all).
Baxter adds that the fears are exaggerated in any case, because there is a large amount of domestic work that cabotage will not affect, such as pallet or groupage operations, He says: "Provided they are operating in accordance with the law. then I don't have an issue with foreign trucks doing cabotage in the UK."
Another dissenter from the 'all cabotage is bad' school is Andrew Tinkler, chairman of Eddie Stobart, who says that Stobart is not affected by cabotage, and that foreign hauliers taking loads out of the UK cheaply was a good thing for the economy.
Peter Cullum, the Road Haulage Association's international head, says that UK hauliers' attitudes to cabotage depended partly on where they were In the country.
He adds: We find that the membership in the South East, Wales and parts of East Anglia tend to get more upset about it, because these seem to be the areas where cabotage is most exploited and causes most grief."