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148 
RHA applauds resurrection of Transport Department 'focus'
Page 7
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• Alistair Darling is the new Transport Secretary, replacing Stephen Byers, who quit his job last week after months of mounting pressure.
Darling will hand over responsibility for local government and the regions to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Darling, who was previously Secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions, is seen as a safe pair of hands in the Cabinet; the government hopes that he will give the beleaguered department a much needed boost.
Stephen Joseph, director of environmental lobby group Transport 2000, says: "Government rhetoric over not wanting to 'punish' motorists is absurd. That's exactly what wi[i happen if ministers allow congestion to get worse.
"They must restore confi
dence in its ability to improve the transport system—at present the perception is the government couldn't ever keep a pair of roller skates in working order."
Hauliers are eager to tell Darling what the haulage industry needs to get back on its feet: "Diesel is the killer, there's no doubt about it. They are taxing everyone off the roads," says Phil Jones
of Kidderminsterbased haulage company GL Jones. "Tolls in London is another one. I use the capital a fair bit doing deliveries and I have to get into all the town centres around the country, which will just add to the cost."
Road Haulage Association chief executive Roger King says: "We are delighted that trans port has now become a single focus issue. If this leads to direct line to the Secretary c State it will mean the impor tance of road transport reach ing into Cabinet."