Hauliers want to repay the public
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was the belief that the public should benefit from the hauliers' action that swung the meeting.
Anecdotal tales of gifts of tea and sandwiches—even champagne—for those manning the barricades were widespread and many delegates argued it would be selfish and counter-productive to seek tax cuts simply for themselves. As a result, the forum voted for a reduction of fuel duty across the board.
But Commercial Motor spoke to one haulier with a fleet of 300 vehicles and 500 staff who vehemently disagreed with the decision, feeling that emotion had overtaken common sense. "The government needs something to let it off the hook," he said. "It would
be better to win an Essential User Rebate first and ensure that the government gives a commitment to review the whole issue of fuel taxation."
He questioned what the protesters would do if their demands weren't met. They too, he suggested, needed an escape route.
Public opinion, fickle at best, might not be so positive if further disruption takes place later in the year, he warned, and people would not appreciate trudging through the cold and wet because the fuel pumps had run dry, or coming home to a freezing house because they had no heating oil.
"Even more importantly, what about our retail customers?" he asked."If we can't or won't deliver, they might decide enough is enough, pay off our contracts and take the distribution back in-house. Supermarkets stand to lose millions each week if their shelves are empty and they will have no sympathy for us."
It was never going to be easy to reach a consensus and the RHA may well be disappointed that its key strategy of pressing for an Essential User Rebate was thrown out in favour of a single demand to reduce tax levels to the European average.
However, representatives chosen to meet transport ministers agreed that it was vital to keep up a united front. They are: Frank Steam (Trans-Action), John Kinnaird (Scottish NFU), Andy Cox (Federation of Small Businesses), Alan Cawthorne (People's Fuel Forum) and, from the RI-IA, John Bridge, Roger King, Antony Badman, Cohn Frost, Clive Hoyland and Terry Morgan.
But many observers believe that they are on a hiding to nothing with such a massive demand, and now that the government, has set up a "task force" to deal with future disruption, it will dig its heels in and nothing will be gained.