GET TO THE POINT
Page 7
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At last, a British Government has announced we are to have an integrated transport policy. Well hallelujah. For as long as anyone can remember various groups from environmentalists to Save the London Buses have been calling for such a thing—but what was announced? Last week deputy prime minister John Prescott duly made his much publicised declaration, but instead of immediate action, we got another consultation document. These must really be in vogue down at Marsham Street. The Department of Transport is currently consulting on a number of issues affecting the haulage industry, not least the decision that will have the most impact on the industry for a decade—what the new domestic weight limits should be after 1999. Now CM is all in favour of consulting the industry, but not where it replaces action. Andrew Parkhouse of NFC (see page 6) is quite right when he says the latest round of questions are exactly the same as those asked by Brian Mawhinney two years ago. Transport issues have changed little in that time— except congestion is much worse. Ministers today are bombarded with information from groups from our very own Road Haulage and Freight Transport Associations to environmental outfits such as Transport 2000 or Friends of the Earth. Every area from cyclists to hang-gliders has a pressure group just dying to tell the Government what should be in its integrated policy—but few are saying anything new, As
the headline on our story sug gests, this might be a case of too much talk and not enough action. Prescott says the con sultation will result in a White Paper in the spring—how long before it becomes law? Let's get on with it now before it's too late.
Z1 Hauliers wishing to express their views should write to:
Integrated Transport Division, Zone 1/26, Great Minster House, Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR.