FTA: we condemn fuel disruption
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YOUR REPORT (‘Despite panic-buying fuel, public is sympathetic towards tanker drivers...’ CM 5 April) is a serious misinterpretation of your survey’s findings and suggests an enthusiasm for strike action by disruption of fuel supplies – neither of which you should be proud of.
Using the figures quoted in the article, barely a fifth of respondents have a lot of sympathy, but in total 31% have a little, 21% not much and 26% have no sympathy at all. Surely the conclusion to be drawn from that set of statistics is that nearly eight out of 10 respondents had little or no sympathy at all? That is hardly a ringing endorsement and not one that justifies the headline used for the story.
Your other survey of the public’s appetite for direct action to achieve fuel duty cuts is also a misrepresentation of this industry’s position. As you well know, direct action does not and, as long as Freight Transport Association (FTA) is involved, never will form a part of the FairFuelUK campaign. To present the public with this option as if it were, is wrong.
Your time and money would have been better spent surveying CV operators about the effects of threatened fuel disruptions on their businesses.
At a time when some rather tired voices are again calling for direct action, the voice of the road transport industry on the news stands should be in no doubt about the devastating effects that disruption of fuel supplies would have on all businesses and the general public.
FTA members are clear where they stand: any disruption of fuel supplies will put intolerable pressure on businesses at a critical time in the economic recovery as they would simply be unable to trade normally. Yes, fuel duty is unacceptably high but this would just kill the patient!
I would expect both CM and MT to join the FTA in an unequivocal condemnation of disruption to fuel supplies from whatever cause.
Theo de Pencier
Chief Executive, Freight Transport Association Ed’s note: Don’t shoot the messenger! We would accept that the significance of the survey results is open to interpretation – after all statistics can be read in many ways – but surely the FTA cannot disagree with our goal of seeking to gauge public opinion on rising fuel prices and what action by the haulage industry people would support?
We must accept that without widespread public backing, the transport lobby has little prospect of persuading government to act on fuel duty. Surely the survey results are extra ammunition for FairFuelUK in its battle with the Treasury? The fact that CM commissioned it does not imply we support direct action over lobbying.