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• Regarding the Vans On Test feature (CM 8-14 October). I would like to point out that Bauer Millett is not the only authorised General Motors dealer in the UK. West Midland American Vehicles is the longest established General Motors dealer in the UK.
Tim Deverall
Sales and marketing manager, West Midlands American Vehicles
The destruction goes on
• Just when it seemed that the present Government could do no more to damage trade and industry in this country, the good old Department of Transport continues the destruction.
Only a Government department that flies in the face of Continental thinking by presenting its ill-conceived transport policy as a 'winner' could seriously pick road pricing as a way forward.
Roads and traffic minister Ken Carlisle says we will be charged for every mile our trucks cover in towns by the year 2000. What kind of a charge will be made for these urban miles and what will this do to the haulage industry? Hauliers know from bitter experience that in the heat of competition added costs are usually only part passed on. And then there will be the administration.
But will the Treasury really let Carlisle's dream come to fruition? Even if some of the road pricing surcharge is passed on it will play havoc with the Government's 'all-important' goal of low inflation.
What everybody, from the Confederation of British Industry down to Joe Bloggs stuck in a traffic jam, wants is co-ordination not price dictatorship. We need a healthy public transport and rail freight system to free up the roads — not an added burden to industry and consumers.
Let's hope that if industry can't stop this ridiculous idea the Treasury can.
Len Sutton
London SE2I. Fiddle ye not • I could not let Mr Topps' ambiguous comment about "the tachograph chart being about as truthful as the old log books" go without comment (CM 1-7 October).
Fiddling of the instrument is possible, but gets more difficult with each succeeding generation. Furthermore — be warned — some of the fiddles that vehicle operators and drivers believe are undetectable are in fact relatively easy to spot, particularly if the operating pattern of the fleet is checked at the same time. David Green's comments are more true than most people realise.
In conclusion, let respectable operators continue to encourage drivers to put their undoubted skills to good use. Every attempted fiddle represents a wasted opportunity to direct the driver's efforts into more constructive channels.
F Kay
Lucas Kienzle Instruments, Birmingham.
Commercial Motor welcomes readers' letters, which can be phoned in on 081-652 3689 (24-hour service). Letters, which should be typed double spaced, may be edited for length and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.