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Conservatives promise to create a level playing field
Page 8
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The Tories continue to woo UK road transport — the shadow Transport Secretary has been talking to operators... Chris Tindall reports.
SHADOW TRANSPORT Secretory Chris Grayling has promised that the Conservatives will level the playing field between UK and foreign operators if they are elected to government.
Grayling says he is committed to finding solutions to the problems such as the financial disparity that allows Continental-based companies to undercut UK operators struggling with the cost of diesel and road tax, The Tories will also investigate ways of increasing the number of secure truck parks. Grayling is talking to Caroline Spelman, Shadow Secretary for Communities and Local Government, to see if business parks could make better provision for the trucks they rely on.
Grayling believes hijacking a truck and attacking a driver should be treated as offences of equal seriousness — and should be investigated as such. He also supports proposals to give Vosa officers the power to clamp overseas vehicles and says he will look at other ways of giving the agency "more teeth".
Speaking at a meeting of Transport Association members, Grayling said the concept of the Lorry Road User Charge could be resurrected: "A system of lorry road user charging is an obvious possibility. I know the concept has been discredited by the broken promises of the current government, but that doesn't mean its necessarily the wrong option. "It has already happened in Germany. The system isn't perfect, but it does appear to work."
He told the meeting that embarkation fees at UK ports would also be considered; Shadow Roads Minister Owen Paterson will produce a discussion paper on this idea next year.
Robert Wilcox, director of Massey Wilcox in Chilcompton, Somerset, was at the meeting. He says he was impressed with Grayling's knowledge of the industry but cautions: The proof is in the pudding. They all make those big statements when they are in opposition.
"Whether they follow them through is another matter,"