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Fuel duty adion is best remedy, say operators
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But the latest CM/Vichelin survey also shows many in the industry are not familiar with the Burns report or its recommendations.
Almost a third of respondents in CM and Michelin's latest Business Monitor survey say that the government must tackle the issue of high fuel duty.
We asked which policy suggested by the Burns report would be most useful to the industry.
Respondents. who included transport managers. operations directors and MDs of transport companies, named action on fuel duty (18%) and an Essential User Rebate (13%) as the most effective remedies for the transport industry's ills.
But these figures were dwarfed by the number of respondents who hadn't heard of it — an additional 19% said they didn't know enough about the remedies available.
Rob Jones, transport manager at the Potter Group, said as far as he knows most people in the logistics sector have read the report, but those specifically within haulage are probably less familiar with its contents.
Widespread pessimism
Kenneth Smith, MD for Barnsley, S Yorks-basedTrekdale Transport, had heard of the report but not read it. He summed up a lot of people's pessimism: "They make all these reports but they do what they want to at the end of the day."
Of those who were familiar with the Burns Inquiry report and its contents, few seemed to be impressed by many of the policy solutions it suggested.
Only 0.5% voted for a VED switch,`blue diesel' smart cards, or forcing overseas trucks to enter the UK with empty tanks. Slightly more (4%) voted for making foreigners fill up before leaving the UK.
Support for CTD
The CM/Michelin survey also found that 62% thought the Cornpulsory Training Directive is either "very important" or "important". Jones said: "It adds to the idea of a driver being a professional and having a professional career rather than being just a driver."
And almost two thirds of respondents (64%) were not satisfied with the police response to a crime committed against drivers or their business. Tim Morris, logistics manager for Spiral Crest in Bolton, said "A couple of times we've had problems in the yard and [the police] haven't shown up until the thieves have left" •