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Tory talks transport
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A former farmer and a truck driver, Yorkshire MP Robert Goodwill has a few suggestions for changing road transport in the UK. CM quizzed him about his ambitions for May 2010 and beyond...
Words: arah Mackintay / Images; uranam Richardson
WITH AN ELECTION coming, it may surprise you to know that truck crime is at the top of one Tory MP's agenda.
CM caught up with Robert Goodwill, the shadow roads minister for transport, who shared some of his policy ideas.
Hopeful that he'll be sitting on the front benches next year, truck crime will be top of Goodwill's agenda.
"We must provide better overnight parking facilities for truck drivers," he states. "It seems to be an area that the motorway service sector industry is not interested in because truck drivers, by and large, don't spend a great deal of money in them, so the idea of providing good facilities for these drivers is not attractive to them."
He adds: "If I'm elected as the roads minister, I'll be meeting with the service station operators and exploring how we can improve the facilities, particularly if we are going to encourage women, for example. to become truck drivers':
Well, there are two promises that CM will hold the Conservative party to. should the political winds continue to blow in its direction come May 2010.
Goodwill also tells us that he is concerned about the speed limit set for trucks on most single carriageways.
Reasserting a Tory pledge, he says: "We propose to change the limit from 40mph to 50mph for single-carriageway trunk roads, because we think it would reduce the number of accidents caused by frustrated motorists attempting to overtake at dangerous spots."
Goodwill does not heed the warnings of the Liberal Democrats that such a move would endanger lives and increase carbon emissions.
He argues: -Given that vehicles have much better braking systems; they have air suspension; the road surfaces are better; and tyres and technology have improved; we feel we are justified in increasing the limit as a safety measure."
Stringent checking
The Tory MP is also highly critical of foreign operators who ply their trade on the UK's roads with apparent ease, particularly now the cabotage rules have been relaxed.
The 'three-in-seven' cabotage rule is to be introduced by spring 2010. Under the ruling, the number of domestic jobs that can be carried out by international hauliers delivering to foreign states will be limited to three in seven days.
-We're seeing a dramatic increase in the numbers of foreign lorry drivers on our roads," Goodwill observes. "Some of which arc not maintained to the standard we would expect from our own industry, and some of the drivers of the vehicles are ignoring regulations such as loading and drivers' hours."
Goodwill points the finger at the government for its lack of action, although he does concede that it has made resources available for better
vehicle checks. For example, the police have had the power to issue graduated fixed penalties (GFPs) since 1 April; while VOSA followed suit on 28 May.
As a result,VOSA has collected more than £500,000 in deposit payments during the first quarter of the scheme, and has seized (so far) 800 vehicles, A total of 11,000 GFPs have been issued since 28 May. And of those, 60% were handed out to drivers of nonUK vehicles.
"The government has put resources into better checks," Goodwill says, "but we need to keep up that momentum to ensure our industry is not further eroded by foreign operators whose standards fall far shorter to those of our own that we insist on."
Much of Goodwill's political activity has been focused on transport issues.
One of his first roles in the European Parliament was on the environment committee, where its main remit was to look at vehicle emissions levels.
He praises firms such as Scan ia, which, every time the politicians have set tough and challenging targets for engine manufacturers, has "produced even cleaner engines"
Driving in the blood
The MP for Whitby and Scarborough comes from a family long involved in the world of road transport (see box left).
The years spent delivering tonnes of the family potatoes have left Goodwill a keen amateur truck driver, So much so that he still dabbles at weekends. But even this has caused him frustration.
He reveals: "The Department for Transport has indicated people who use vehicles like mine, even if they are in another line of work during the week, must take into account those hours from their working week."
The rules are not clear, and despite seeking clarification from Geoff Hoon, the then transport minister, he's still none the wiser. "You could work a computer for five days, but then, presumably, that means you're going to be too tired to drive a lorry at the weekend." •