Sour grapes
Page 22
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Ihave just read the story headed "Trainers call for inquiry" about the dispute over the proposed voluntary register for LGV instructors (CM 6-12 Feb). If this isn't sour grapes, then I don't know what is!
It seems to me a great pity that the old statutory RTITB never had enough political clout to persuade the various transport ministers to recognise and legally authorise their register of instructors from day one. After all, it was the official training board for road transport.
This company, like many others, started life as a group training organisation and our instructors have always attended the RTITB course. The qualification added authenticity to an unregulated industry along with credibility for the individual employee—we have been proud to use the words "RTITB Approved" for over 25 years. We have no problems with the principle of a voluntary register and the method of initial entry, whether or not there will be automatic entry for RTITB instructors, for in the fullness of time all instructors will be checktested and those who do not meet the required standard will, or should be, struck off.
The schools that are planning to boycott the register probably employ nonRTITB-registered instructors. They have had a free ride for many years and are now griping about the companies and instructors who have previously invested in staff training.
Furthermore, I do not believe the setting up of a rival system will do any good. Who will authorise it? Who will lay down the standards? Not the RHA, FTA or the DSA it appears!
To suggest that the RTITB would gain a commercial advantage if the proposals go through is rubbish. Gawd, the smell of the grapes is getting stronger by the minute.
N Dickinson, LTS Ltd, Lancaster
Road enraged
Iwonder if those you surveyed regarding their voting intentions of trusting the Tories have noted the intention of the Conservatives with regard to road haulage and what they plan to do or, to be more precise, what they will not do?
The massive congestion on our roads is bound to get a lot worse under their new proposals. The election promises they made regarding road improvements have virtually been eliminated.
Because of massive incompetence by the Government the simple fact is that there is not any money in the kitty for the NHS, schools, emergency services etc, so an easy option was to cut on a massive scale the spending on roads. Their plan for future road building (as they put it "to be handed over to a partnership between the private and public sector") is their way of washing their hands of the problem.
That idea is a non-starter unless those partnerships can see a profitable return on their money. In the event of any of these new roads being built, guess who will pay the lions' share of the tolls? Losing a few thousand truckers' votes would be a lot less risky to the Government than risking the wrath of 22 million car owners.
Harry Gee, Swadlincote, Derby& I: See feature, page 38.