Trans-Action: future unclear after threat by Karen Miles • Trans-Action
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is reassessing its tactics after receiving police warnings over last week's protest—and the offer of a meeting with the Transport and General Workers' Union.
The group's membership has doubled to more than 100 hauliers since last week's action in London and the Midlands. But it has been threatened with widespread prosecution if it persists in causing tailbacks during its protests, says the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Paul Manning, ACPO chairman and Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, says drivers involved in last Monday's low-speed crawl up the M1 and around the M25 to Dartford were breaking the law. "They were driving without reasonable consideration for other road users and obstructing the highway; both offences," he says. "We are recommending to individual chief officers that they take appropriate action through the courts."
Essex police have already started moves which could end with the prosecution of 14 drivers. Their trucks, bedecked with banners, slowed down to 5mph when crossing the bridge at Dartford, causing up to eight miles of tailbacks.
Trans-Action chairman Peter Knight believes Trans-Action should stick to legal protests or risk losing public support for its demands for lower diesel duty.
Knight is set to meet T&G national officers next week before the group decides on its next move.
T&G national secretary Danny Bryan says: "We're not meeting them to commit ourselves...they believe the road haulage industry is disadvantaged and if that's having an effect on our members there could be some common ground."