Any action is better than no action
Page 30
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
your report last week about the Government giving the thumbs up to 44tonne piggyback trailers misses the point (CM 13-19 March).
What operators need is not a piecemeal series of decisions on allowing one weight here and another there, but a comprehensive statement of intent I know that the general election might change things, and if it does, can we at least hope that Labour will decide what it is going to do about lorry weights and do it QUICKLY.
Frankly, I don't care all that much what the law is going to allow us to do—I'll manage whatever happens— but I do need to know which option the legislators are going to go for.
When I know that, I can plan purchasing over the next few years without the fear that the vehicles I am buying will be at uncompetitive weights.
The problem with this Government throughout its term of office has not been that it makes the wrong decisions, but that it makes no
decisions at all. I hope to God that the Labour party does a little better if Mr Blair happens to finds himself in Downing Street in May. Ben Eyres,
Manchester.
Fuel card survey; lust the ticket!
'-ust a note to say thanks
for your fuel card survey CM13-19 March). It's diffi, cult to judge the best way to buy fuel nowadays. All I know is that it's so expensive that any small savings can mean a great deal to my cashflow and overall profit (not big ?).
This sort of objective guide is a great of help, particularly to small hauliers who often don't have the clout to negotiate good deals on fuel prices.
Bob Eagleton, Durham.
Will the Highways Agency listen?
So now we can complain to the Highways Agency about the poor state of British roads (CM 20-26 Feb). Big deal.
Surely the point is not whether we can complain but whether anybody is actually
going to do anything about it. I can't see why I should bother to make the agency meet ludicrous "customer focused" targets if nothing is going to happen as a result.
don't need some civil servant pouring oil on my troubles and then sodding off and doing nothing about it. I need better roads (among other things).
Don Morgan, Merthyr Tydfil.
Would hauliers miss the DOT?
Isee that the Labour party is considering shutting down the Department of Transport (CM 13-19 March). This leaves me with a problem. After five years (make that 10) of the DOT doing nothing (during which time it might as well not have existed anyway) does this mean I should vote for Labour or not?
Will it make any difference? The FTA might care, but Fin not sure I do.
Simon Donovan, Bath.
Northern Ireland is out on its own
In reading your 27 February-5 March issue of Commercial Motor I noted that in the article "Police promise not to desert VI checks" that there is a reference to Northern Ireland in the penultimate paragraph.
In fact the VI has no jurisdiction in Norhern Ireland, which has its own legislation and enforcement arrangements and has no link with the VI.
The legislation in NI gives Vehicle Inspectors and Traffic Examiners the authority to stop most vehicles apart from private cars for enforcement purposes. RS Martin, DOE for Northern Ireland.