Direct action on fuel pricing is not the answer, says RHA chairman
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By Chris Druce THE ROAD TRANSPORT industry must maintain momentum over fuel pricing, but direct action is not an option, says Road Haulage Association (RHA) chairman Richard Fry.
Fry, director of Shepton Malletbased Framptons Transport Services, was elected national chairman of the RHA in May and believes the rising cost of fuel must remain top of the agenda for the industry.
“Regardless of how you try to recover it – and we’ve had a fuel surcharge in place for the past 10 years – you’ll never recall it all, so it is an issue for us all.” He adds that, even with a surcharge in place, the prospect of passing fuel price increases on to customers is not the answer as it hits their proit and that returns to hit the haulier in future contracts.
However, Fry believes the direct action seen in 2000 and 2008 is not the answer for the industry. He argues that while owner-drivers and small irms could countenance it, the reputational damage to family irms such as Framptons means it is not an option. “Fuel remains a rallying point, the only one we have at present as an industry.” Instead, Fry believes efforts most be doubled to address the fact that too many foreign trucks full of cheap fuel are coming into the UK and not contributing to the economy. “Bearing in mind that the next thing that’s going to happen is all cabotage restrictions are going to be lifted, in just a couple of years. It’s going to make it more dificult, especially for people to operate against these guys.”