• RHA prefers Tories
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:ONSERVATIVE manifesto romises appear to be more atractive to the two main trade ssociations than some of the abour proposals, writes the laws editor.
The Road Haulage Association ; particularly attracted by elelents of the Conservative manipsto, saying it is glad that they upport the development of the runk road and motorway ystem to help the economy reover, but it derives similar satiswtion from lip service paid by le Labour Party and the SDP/ iberal Alliance to road investlent.
While the Conservatives' lans to abolish the Greater Lon don Council by 1986 superficially attract both the RHA and the non party political Freight Transport Association, neither wants to endorse the plans until more details become available about what will replace the GLC.
An RHA spokesman said the GLC had failed to provide London with an adequate road network, it would be wrong to hand over the Council's powers to the London boroughs; another authority would need to handle roads. Labour's plans to renationalise part of the haulage industry around the National Freight Consortium are, predictably, unpopular with the industry, and the RHA is also opposed to manifesto promises to stop the privatisation of local authority services like refuse collection.
Several RHA members have benefited from privatisation of refuse collection, and they believe that the ratepayer has gained too.
Neither RHA nor FTA wants the National Transport Authority proposed by Labour.
Labour plans to increase lorry tax "sound ominous", according to the RHA, and both associations are convinced that noise and pollution standards are already being tightened up.
The FTA said it agreed with the principle of Labour's promise to keep lorries away from people, but the best way of doing this was to build more roads and by-passes.
According to the RI-IA, the Labour Party should desist from investing in railways on a massive scale, and it considers that Section 8 rail facilities grants are at a high enough level now. The RHA spokesman added that the same applied to waterways.
More generally, the PTA has called for a longer-term approach to transport from the next Government, and criticised the present administration for "shilly shallying" over the implementation of higher lorry speed limits, and Labour for putting a switch to rail transport before the needs of industry.