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Page 35
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Laura Weathedey, MD of Williams Aggregates, Orpington, is worried about the charge: "We already pay enough as it is to use the roads. The best idea would be to just pay duty on fuel; that way it would be in proportion to the amount that anyone uses the roads."
Andrew Brraden, partner in Barnstaple-based GJ Bawden Haulage, had heard little about the tolls. "I have no idea at all what a fair rate should be. At the moment we are just struggling with the 48-hour working week, We need to deal with that first, otherwise the tolls might be irrelevant," he says.
Gordon McKinnon. who runs McKinnon Trucking, of Dairy, Ayrshire, was among many vs,no had heard nothing about the proposed tolling system. But he was convinced that any changes to fund-raising for roads would result in hauliers paying more money, not less. 'The only reason the government will change the system is to raise more money, so I think its extremely unlikely this will do anything except cost me more than I am paying now," he says.
Keith Thornton, owner of Keith Thornton Logistics in Brighton was another who knew "nothing at all" about the proposed change in taxation, but he also believed hauliers would end up paying more. "It's only going to result in you paying more than you already are," he says.
David Fisher, managing director of Fishers of Harrogate, pointed out that if costs did increase they would be passed on to hauliers' customers. He adds: "1 haven't heard a great deal about the details but it does seem to involve telematics in the cab, which is a bit Big Brotherish."
Howard Wilson, sales and marketing manager of Birmingham haulier AD Hurnpherson, also had reservations about the 'Big Brother' implications of the on-board telematics units which may be used to calculate tolls. He fears that such units could ultimately be used as a comprehensive 'spy in the cab".
Marlin Wiles, MD of BC Wiles &Sons, Peterborough, dislikes the idea "We are already taxed so highly on fuel. The congestion charge wasn't received favourably by our customers and this is another cost that we can't absorb, so will have to push it down the line to them."