Don’t be a victim
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Revelations this week from the Road Haulage Association (RHA) that the theft of fuel from hauliers is on the rise (see p6) is a worrying turn in the saga of high fuel prices.
Hauliers are already being robbed by the Treasury through high fuel duty, so to then have the liquid gold taken out of their tanks is adding insult to injury. But the fuel theft is more than just an issue of high taxes. It goes to the heart of unresolved problems in the road transport industry.
The RHA members survey found that the majority of thefts take place overnight in lorry parks and lay-bys. Let’s face it, the Department for Transport has hardly made any headway on its promise to improve lorry parking provision in this country – which it made in November 2009. Furthermore, as crime levels increase, the Home Office is axing its funding for TruckPol (which we reported last week).
It would be easy for the industry to blame the government for its woes when it comes to being the victims of crime. But the road transport industry can do better than being just victims, it should take matters into its own hands.
We are not advocating burning pitchforks and a mob mentality, but to keep reporting crimes. If you are the victim of a crime don’t just tell TruckPol but email our Lorry Crime Blogger on joanna.bourkerarbi.co.uk. CM will then map all truck crimes around the country and tell the Home Office how serious the problem is.
Christopher Walton ● CM went to press before George Osborne made his decision on fuel duty in yesterday’s Budget. Go to Roadtransport. com for the full reaction.