BHA says public sympathy on fuel duty increases grows...
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• by Guy Sheppard The Road Haulage Association claims pubic support for its Fair Play on Fuel campaign is growing, despite a poor turnout at its latest demonstration in Birmingham. Only 300 trucks joined the convoy around the city's inner ring road on Saturday (20 November)—well short of the figure the RHA had hoped for.
But a telephone poll in the Birmingham Evening Mail showed that 78% of the Mail's readers approved of the protest, even though it threatened to disrupt Christmas shopping r the city centre.
Following the convoy RHA national chairman John Bridge told a rally that the next Road Haulage Industry Forum with government ministers will be held on Wednesday, 8 December. "I very much hope that with the strength of support you have shown for our cause today we will get some common-sense results," he said. "I will continue to fight on behalf of you, as will the rest of the 131-1A, to ensure we get some action."
Owner-driver Andrew Alcock from Buxton, Derbyshire is not in the BHA but will continue to support the protest rallies.
He told CM: "Either I go bankrupt or they [the Government] take tax off diesel. I am not making enough money to reinvest in my truck."
Barry Proctor of Stoke-onTrent, who runs 21 vehicles and specialises in brick haulage, was disappointed by the turnout. "If every RHA member from this area sent one truck there would be over 500," he said. "The guys who aren't here won't be in business next year—it's complacency." But the message is still getting through, he added: "Every new broadcast we have had today has been about the fuel protest We are getting tremendous support from the public...if you don't do things like this, it just dies a death." Mark Hodgkinson of Audley Removals and Storage, based near Newcastle-under-Lyme, felt the turnout was reasonable. "Strength of numbers gets the message through to the Government," he said. 'I don't think they've quite taken on board the idea of the essential user rebate."
• TNT Express has threatened to cancel its RBA membership in protest at the Birmingham demonstration. Managing director Tom Bell said: "None of us like excessive fuel taxes, but our company is totally opposed to disruptive action by hauliers."