INDUSTRY NEWS
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Hauliers upset at COMMENT
Do or die...
As CM was going to press this week, hauliers were taking the M25 by storm in their "do or die" protest. But was it more drizzle than storm? Whatever the number of trucks involved, and estimates certainly varied, it was no more than a tiny fraction of those operating on Britain's roads. The only message this can send politicians and public is that not enough hauliers are concerned enough about the state of the industry to take action.
Ironically, a recent survey shows that the Great British Public is essentially in support of the industry's fight against unfair taxation—but it's a lot less willing to support traffic disruption. Game over, surely, at least as far as direct action is concerned? If this was truly the do-or-die moment for direct action, perhaps the haulage sector now needs to take a step back and reevaluate its strategy. Raising hell and headlines is all very well, but what results have been achieved?
The key to this, as ever, was the lack of numbers. Whatever happens next, whether it's a park-up, a petition or a protest, one thing is for sure: it needs to involve every truck operator in the country. Because without real numbers, it just won't have real effect.
• So farewell then, Dr John Reid, and thanks for...nothing. To be fair, of course, you weren't in office long enough to achieve much. A consistent hand at the tiller in transport would be more useful than in many another department, but transport seems doomed to remain a stepping stone. Reid's replacement, Helen Liddell, seems to have little experience of transport, but has wasted no time in criticising this week's protest, stressing that the Government is "very keen to establish dialogue". The line's open, Helen: now, what shall we talk about?