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Page 8
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NEW-LOOK CM: NEWS AND VIEWS FROM YOUR INDUSTRY
Welcome to the new-look Commercial Motor, the magazine at the heart of the road transport industry. Focused on delivering 'need-to-know' information to those with a stake in the road transport sector, Commercial Motor builds on its century-long tradition of giving you the plain facts in an easy-to-read format. We've sharpened up the design and added a number of new editorial areas, all aimed at bringing you an independent, easy-to-read weekly view on the road transport sector. Whether buying, selling, operating or driving commercial vehicles, it's all in here. We hope you like it...
Less than two years' away from introduction, and the effects of road user charging applying to all commercials above 3.5 tonnes on all roads in the UK from 2006on the road transport sector are still to take shape. Yes, we've had the White Paper and plenty of rhetoric, but the road transport sector at large awaits further clarification on the matter, "Revenue neutral" claims the treasury a round of applause for HM government if it is, but we're less than convinced (see CM Investigates, page 34). It may be revenue neutral if you run at night, but the government won't be able to resist bringing in a congestion-busting element of the tax. If commercial vehicles are to be clobbered for peak-time running, then virtually every supply chain, logistic pattern, cost analysis and traffic planning sheet will need to be redrawn. We, along with the rest of the industry, require clarity; but brace yourself for bad tidings.
"We require clarity on road user charging; but brace yourself for bad tidings"
But there is some good and perhaps not so good news, in the shape of the Young European Driver of the Year competition, which had its UK final last weekend. All 12 finalists, who were clearly dedicated to their driving careers, put up a good fight, and the winner now goes on to compete against drivers from 19 other countries in the final in Sweden. The competition attracted 300 initial entries, which seems good at first glance. However, when organiser Scania went to truckstops to give out entry forms, it couldn't find any drivers under 40. And the problem has been just as bad in the 19 other countries involved. Getting young drivers into the industry is clearly not just a UK problem. Surely if the rest of Europe is in the same boat there's a danger that the EU economy could, in the future, grind to a halt. There's an urgent need to tackle the problem on a Europe-wide basis? Isn't it time the EU spent some of its money on attracting, and keeping, young entrants in road transport?