Foden hits out at the knockers
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ERF CHAIRMAN and managing director Peter Foden hit out at the anti-lorry lobby last week when he spoke to shareholders at the company's annual general meeting.
Mr Foden told shareholders: "The disadvantages of the heavy lorry has largely been eliminated through modern design resulting in a substantial reduction of noise and pollution with an increase in safety."
Opponents of the heavy vehicle had been having a field day at the expense of the industry, said Mr Foden. He hoped that the Government's independent inquiry into the heavy vehicle, people and their environment would answer the critics once and for all.
He pointed out that the EEC had agreed in principle that the use of heavy goods vehicles were an important influence on economic growth and he hoped that member states would soon agree on common weight regulations.
The only cloud on the ERF horizon was the current engineering dispute, which is cutting production by 20 per cent and with the risk of further cuts to come.
"This dispute is giving our overseas competitors the opportunity of taking a bigger share of the market and I only hope that sense will prevail before we do irreparable damage to our industry," said Mr Foden.