The haulage industry is drowning under a tidal wave of legislation
Page 17
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SADLY, I WAS forced to close my general haulage operation last year. The letter from Carl Myers (‘Staying compliant with changes in O-licence laws can be a full-time job’ CM 6 August) is 100% correct.
How on earth can anyone keep up with all the new regulations that are increasing as each day passes? It’s quite impossible, and is more than a full-time ‘job’ to try to contend with it on its own. Don’t forget the lack of work and the high cost of diesel. After trying extremely hard, I found it just wasn’t possible to earn anything like enough money, keep on the road and stay within the law. I know I’m not alone when I say that ‘enough is enough’.
I have no wish to break any laws, but my problem was how did I know everything was being done within the law when the powersthat-be keep on changing the law and introducing so many new regulations?
We have too many ‘laws’, so perhaps it would be better if we had fewer, and made the ones we do have easier to understand, but, then, the law-makers would be out of work.
I pity anyone starting up in haulage and wish them luck. They’ll need it!
Jean Sharples J Sharples & Son Eardisley, Herefordshire Editor’s note: Turn to p18 for one MP’s views on struggling small hauliers.