Hauliers Not Treated Fairly
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A"appeal for fairer treatment. for road haulage by the Government was made by Mr. L R. Robson, chairman of the Southern Area of the Road Haulage Association; at the area's annual dinner in Southampton last Friday. "While industry. in general
• was allocated 90 per cent., and farmers 100 per cent, of normal requirements, and while the railways were also using Diesel-fuel, our industry was threatened with extinction," he said.
The road haulage industry used only
• 12 per cent of the country's total cansumption, so that fuel-saving was not • • the only reason for the cut.
"I think the answer is in the words of. Sir Brian. Robertson, head of the British Transport Commission, when he declared: 'Now is the time for the railways to recapture the traffic they have lost There is no doubt at all that the Government did all they could to help him," Mr. Robson asserted.
At a time when hauliers had difficulty in getting an extra 15 from their bank, the railways had been allowed to borrow £11,200m. and had been given £250m. to tide them over their present difficulties. They were to run on untaxed oil fuel.
Meanwhile, expenditure on roads is iii the region of £100m. a year, and, as everyone knows, lhat is inadequate. Hauliers also pay heavy tax on their fuel and their premises are not &rated.' MT. Robson stated.
I think the Government are wrong in pouring money into railways, and not roads. I think they are wrong to turn the railways over to .Diesel instead of home-produced fuel. All I ask is that the scales shall be fairly balanced to enable us to compete fairly • and squarely."
Mr. John Howard, M.P., forecast that fuel rationing would continue well into the summer