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THE OPERATORS' VIEW
Page 30
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Ian Jarman, environmental and legislation manager, Owens Road Services, Dafen, Carmartenshire, Jarman is alarmed by figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) showing that one in five foreign lorries are unroadworthy, and proportionately account for a greater share of fatal and serious accidents than UK lorries. He is against extending cabotage further than the current proposals until everyone is legal and compliant. "If that were the case, there would be no problem," he says.
Peter Staines, M&S Transport
"My issue is about safety," explains Staines, whose firm delivers temperature control equipment. "The European electronic database is a good idea. if a Polish operator is stopped in the UK for hours offences, he should be reported to the Polish authortties. His cabotage rights could be taken away. At the same time, if a UK truck is operating illegally in Italy, they should be brought before the TC.
"The downside is that you could have a safety problem with all these left-hand-drive foreign trucks driving around the UK."
Bob Markham, transport controller, C.ert Octavian, Lutterworth, Leics. Markham's firm specialises in wines and spirits, and relies on good-quality regional hauliers who meet the required safety standards for transporting premium products. While his firm is prepared to pay for a decent service, he worries that UK operators will be put out of business by cheaper foreign competitors. "We run 30 vehicles and have a relationship with several regional hauliers; our recognised partners around the country," he reveals. "We fear that if they go out of business, we won't have the service. That is the issue, not price. Our customers are demanding more, so we are prepared to pay over the odds, but there may be other customers who are not so service-sensitive."