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Tipperman has had enough ANOTHER LONG-STANDING haulage firm is shutting
Page 9
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its doors, blaming the state of the industry for its closure.
John Alford Transport, of Langport, Somerset, has been in business for 29 years but now John Alford has decided to give up the six tippers he runs on quarry work in favour of running a solitary 7.5-tonner.
"The decision wasn't taken lightly but we are facing an uphill struggle," he says. -There has been the continual rise in fuel duty, aggregates tax and a moun tain of health and safety legislation brought in whereby common sense no longer prevails.
"The final nail in the coffin has been the introduction of the Working Time Directive. Our hours have been cut to 48 but we are still expected to pay our staff the same wages they would earn for doing 60 hours.
"When we started this business, we were operating as sand and aggregate suppliers but it would appear this has now taken a sideline to tax collecting for the government. I've simply had enough."