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RHA delegates look at the Burns Report
Page 10
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Hot topics of debate at the Road Haulage Association's annual conference included digitachs and demurrage. Louise Cole reports.
THERE WAS disagreement over the success of the Burns report at the Road Haulage Association conference in Portugal last week as Freight Transport Association chief executive Richard Turner told delegates it had created a sea change in government attitudes — but RHA members were less impressed.
Turner told the conference that he felt the Burns report was admirable for its focus and speed of delivery, and that it had won significant changes for the road transport industry.
These included greater understanding from officials and politicians, more senior officials in charge of freight policy, the continuing VED freeze, increased spending on enforcement and a search for areas in which the government could aid the industry.
However, delegates felt the results of the inquiry were less tangible. Chairman Willie Oliver said he was "disappointed at the outcome. The situation with government remains an uneasy peace."
He felt the government's major failing was a lack of understanding and that the trade associations had not done all they could to remedy this. He added that issues such as the state of enforcement and the questions over cal-mtage remained a"sad indictment of the MT".
Jack Semple, RHA director of policy, said members had two problems concerning fuel: passing on costs, and worrying about the effects of those costs on their customers' businesses. He suggested that the government believed that depressed transport rates were beneficial for the economy.
RHA president Roger King felt that a major achievement of the Burns Inquiry was the commitment by the Chancellor to 50,000 roadside inspections on "international business".
He said the RHA had queried whether funding for this would be forthcoming and had been assured by Vasa that sufficient resources would be made available to meet all its commitments.