1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142 
Deteutliug 'tea
Page 65
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
bumped
I have lived and worked in road transport for 53 years — mostly as a trades union officer — and have been involved in many battles against those who would cripple this vital industry in order to boost the outmoded railways.
Now E70m of public money is to be pumped into special rolling-stock to carry mythical freight!
It will be just another £70m down the same old drain. It might be good politics, but it's bad business for the nation.
I wonder if Churchill ever realised what he started when he robbed the "'road fund" in 1926.
The public are told that road transport doesn't pay its track-costs, and doesn't contribute enough to compensate for its destruction of public amenity, as well as being primarily responsible for death on the roads. All this is easily proven false, but consistently asserted nevertheless.
This con-job has gone on for a long time, but it is high time the bluff was called. Other nations are building up their road freight capacity. There are export opportunities for our road vehicle manufacturers greater than ever before. (How many railways do we export?) In 1968 I heard Barbara Castle, then Minister of Transport, state that she was determined to drive 25 per cent of road traffic on to rail. She didn't know a lot about transport, and I was one of those who had to pursuade her to modify her attitude.
Fortunately, Dick Marsh took over, and Barbara moved on.
It is a pity that this great British industry has allowed itself to be the pawn in so many of the political games.
The workforce, which is better organised than the employers, should act in its own defence, preferably with the open support of employers.
Member of the transport unions must make clear to their executives that they are not prepared to be the tame object of political manipulations either in or out of Parliament. Brother J. L. Jones should be leading his union in total opposition to the destruction of road transport, but he won't do it unless he is pushed from below.
So, road transport, wake up! JACK WOOD Regional Group Secretary (retired), but still active on principles