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As a former Chancellor, Prime Minister Gordon Brown can hardly
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be unaware of the importance of road transport to the success of UK plc. CM has talked to experts across the industry about the steps he should take to keep the country's lifeblood flowing.
With the arrival of a new Prime Minister, a new Chancellor and a new Transport Secretary, the time is right to collate an industry wish list. We spoke to everyone from the RA and RHA to operators and manufacturers to find out what they believe the government needs to do in its first year in office.
The issues they raised include the London low-emission zone (LEZ), incentives for Euro-5 trucks and the Working Time Directive.
You might well agree with this wish list, but if you have other ideas that Mr Brown ought to know about, let's hear from you.
Commit to a Comprehensive Spending Review to boost investment in transport infrastructure, including funding fora motorway widening programme.
Place greater focus on ensuring that the nation's trade routes have the capacity to meet the needs of the growing economy.
Recognise the need to expand UK ports and develop the road and rail links that serve them Act on the suggestions in the Eddington Report which was commissioned by Gordon Brown when he was Chancellor.
Develop the government's reforms to speed up the delivery of major new transport infrastructure.
Complete the review of the Working Time Directive without amending the present arrangements.
Establish a charging system for foreignregistered trucks on UK roads and maintain the pressure on the EU and member states over the sharing of vehicle and driver information for enforcement purposes.
Press on with the Local Transport Bill, clarifying the funding of regional and local funding for freight — and come clean about plans for road pricing.
Review diesel duty, bearing in mind the two scheduled increases in fuel duty over the next nine months and the volatility of the global oil market. Sort out issues in the hours regs, particularly periods of availability. The Working Time Directive needs to be operated as intended to create a proper 48-hour working week with no loopholes allowing employers to opt out.
Act to ensure that all trucks, irrespective of their countries of origin, are treated the same and meet the same high safety and driver standards. Also ensure that foreign firms are no longer able to undercut UK operators by compromising on safety.
Ensure that temporary and agency workers are paid the same as permanent staff and are not exploited Encourage the new Transport Secretary to learn to drive a truck so she can understand what it's like for professional drivers.
Talk to the industry before enacting legislation and make new regs unambiguous. In other words, avoid the confusion caused by dig itachs, Euro-4 RPCs and LEZ certification.
Give proper incentives for operators to buy Euro-5 trucks in the form of tax breaks, grants and capital allowances — and award RPCs retrospectively to all those operators who bought Euro-5 trucks, regardless of NOx sensors, and who are being penalised for taking the greenest option.
Transfer responsibility for inspections and testing to the CV manufacturers' dealer networks. leaving Vosa to concentrate its resources on enforcement and making sure that foreign-registered trucks running in the UK pay their way.
Impose a freeze on diesel prices until UK operators no longer have to run their wagons on the most expensive diesel in the world — and close the damaging fuel duty difference between the UK and the rest of the EU, as promised in 2001. Ensure that government policy is to help the UK haulage sector remain efficient, flexible, responsive and an EU leader in safety and compliance.
Put pressure on users of road haulage to abandon unreasonable delivery schedules and penally clauses which are 'un-green' and which Impose stress on drivers and transport managers.
Improve enforcement against foreign trucks by introducing the Graduated Fixed Penalty and Deposit Scheme without further delay and establishing a foreign truck dentification programme Raise the 40mph speed limit on singlecarriageway trunk roads to 50mph Abandon the London LEZ and block any future schemes that effectively exclude legally compliant LGVs from some of the UK roads their taxes pay for.
Exclude trucks from local road pricing schemes which work as a tax on essential users.
Develop an effective policy for adequate and secure truck parking.
Trial longer, heavier vehicles on UK roads.