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flaving watched World in Action on 1.3 January for 30 minutes it was unbelievable the way the British Government and its Euro Transport Commissioner, Neil Kinnock, as well as John Whitelegs from Lancaster University, portrayed haulage contractors. The impression
given to me was that their policy was to "nail them",
First, it portrayed a person modelling a pair of cotton trousers on a Renault Magnum, then it showed a pair of women's knickers on a washing line. Trucks were described as dirty pollutants; every vehicle showed large smoke emissions and there was no mention of particulate traps.
Professor Whitelegs said that there were "too many trucks doing too little work". I would suggest to Professor Whitelegs that there are old vehicles on the roads—for cost reasons—and the rates are so poor that once maintenance Costs are taken out there is little left. Replacing them costs money: bad rates equal bad vehicles, good rates equals good vehicles.
Hauliers and their customers do not like to pay good rates: look at how many hauliers have gone bust. Today I have just been told that a well known roadstone company promised a friend work for 13 tippers in the North-East. He had nine so he expanded, under the impression that he was to get his rate and not theirs. But after he took out the first load, the office phone rang telling him "the loads are not at your rate but ours".
He could not afford to run at their rate so he had to make seven drivers redundant and sell the vehicles. At the end of the day it's simple: no trucks, no deliveries—no haulage, no food. The only thing you will have is a surplus of qualified drivers signing on, Before long drivers might say enough is enough and we might have a national drivers' strike. Who then will deliver your food and clothes, professor? Peter C Clark, Durham.