FUEL DEMOS
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There is an issue that I would like to raise about your editorial Comment headed "Will he or won't he?" (CM28 Oct-3 Nov).
The footnote to this article implies that the FTA's current advertising campaign is not being supported by "other groups". As one who has contributed much to the fuel campaign, in terms of time and money, I feel a little aggrieved at the insinuation in your article that no-one else is doing anything! If you recall, it was the likes of the Trans-Action protests that finally managed to get a message to the Labour Government—that the lack of understanding by Government towards the road haulage industry was causing severe damage to our businesses.
It did not necessarily cause a landslide policy change, but it did put that message across in a meaningful way, by way of TV and radio coverage. I feel that although the protests were useful, the time has come to take our industry's argument a step further.
I have to say that the burden of organising and financing such activities has so far fallen mainly on small businessmen while our larger, more established colleagues have largely stood on one side (lest we were to make fools of ourselves?).
As the basis of our argument with the government is that government policy is wiping out our profits, I hope it stands to reason that a minority of generally small businesses cannot hope to finance this campaign ad infinitum.
When some of us were fighting our cause with the government in 1998 we were not supported publicly by either the RHA or ETA. They were still deciding if we were politically correct! Thus it cost the organisers of Trans-Action and the likes of myself a lot more in time and money than should have been necessary.
We never did have massive resources, which is why we put so much effort into trying to give it our best shot at that time. If we had received better support from our colleagues perhaps there wouldn't be a need for an advertising campaign now.
Some of us are still pursuing this issue, it just so happens we have become more private about it I recently took a delegation of small hauliers to see our MP and I have regular correspondence from him, which is passed on to both the DOT and Treasury. It may not be much, but at least I'm still on the case—although I am losing the inclination to try and help those operators who won't help themselves!
What happened to the protest movements that were so active earlier this year? Most of their organisers are still trying to achieve what they set out to do in 1998: trying not to become bankrupt with no help from the Government or, it seems, the rest of the road haulage industry.
Jordan, Shropshire & Bonder Counties Transport Association, Shrewsbury, Salop.