The Image
Page 3
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WHILST realizing that the general public regard him as their whipping-boy whenever roads, congestion, the railways' finances or atmospheric pollution are mentioned, it is questionable whether the average goods vehicle operator fully appreciates the nature or implications of the campaign that is conducted against him. it is one that should be taken to heart, yet the vast majority of the attacks go unanswered.
This is not the fault of the trade associations, who seem to do what they can to put the operators' case whenever they are allowed to do so. The responsibility lies squarely with each individual operator. Boorish driving, continuous emission of black smoke, vehicles that look dirty or are ill-maintained, prosecutions—these are the things I that the public see and remember.,_ Every operator should be his own public relations agent. If a local newspaper has facts wrong or paints an anti-road transport picture, correct it by writing to the paper. If your own vehicles or drivers offend, set that right also.
Put it this way: if everyone projected a good public image of himself, the resulting national image of road transport 'would also be good. It is certainly unfair, distorted and often frankly untrue, but the image that is currently projected will only be altered ,if the public themselves see a different one. Then they would not be influenced by the present inflammatory material.