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Advice from Daf Trucks on opposing Green Paper
by CM reporter DAF Trucks (GB) Ltd, in a letter signed by managing director Mr D. W. Mansell, has' Issued a general call to road haulage users to protest at the shortcomings of the Government's transport policy Green Paper.
Mr Mansell says the Government review fails to recommend any effective course of action to satisfy the future needs of Britain's transport system. It fails to recognise the major role of road haulage in the movement of goods throughout Britain and to the Continent. The policy document is heavily weighted in favour of railways.
The document, says Mr Mansell, chooses to ignore the basic transport infrastructure in existence in this country, and the proposals made would go a long way towards "fragmenting" what could otherwise be made a very effective transport system — "provided that public spending is allocated to the priority modes of transport relative to use and importance."
The Government is therefore urged to make further studies of the environmental and economic costs of operating the various modes of transport with a view to dovetailing the best of each mode into an efficient transport system.
Lorry routeing should be deferred until the ftill effects can be determined in relation to an overall plan.
Increased public expenditure on road construction and maintenance is called for. Vehicle weights should be increased to EEC standards c 38 tonnes or more on heav articulated vehicles, thu allowing more goods to b carried without increasing th number of heavy vehicles o the road.
Cancel subsidies
Subsidies to all non-profi making enterprises in trans port should be cancelled a. these only serve to burden th■ operating costs of other trans port services.
The DAF documents includl a summary of the transpor policy consultation paper am a specimen letter to MPs set ting out the salient points o the criticisms.