Hauliers hold breath ms Armitage decides
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°THING would help hauliers more than an Armitage Inquiry riding in support of 40-tonne or heavier lorries, Road aulage Association national chairman Ken Rogers said in ackpool last weekend.
Speaking at the Association's 'St weekend workshop, he id: "Nothing will be of greater sistance to the industry during ese bleak days than a finding [ the Armitage Inquiry in favour heavier vehicles.
He added that such a deve)ment is needed urgently, and felt sure that the Government DuId be quick in legislating in your of a maximum gross hide weight of at least 40 Mr Rogers' plea was echoed York Trailer group technical nsultant Keith Buckby who [d that a change to heavier licles would increase producity and efficiency, reduce fuel nsumption, and boost corntition between British and ropean operators.
-le said that ten years had psed since he gave an interw to a television presenter en he supported an increase jvw to 44 tonnes, and added: le know that road transport is )olitically sensitive industry, transport must be considd from the economic point of
view, and its benefit td the community.
And he went on: "It is often said that legislation is designrestrictive, but I would suggest that we have a situation today where absence of legislation is design-restrictive, and is placing a stranglehold on commercial vehicle development.
"Until the question of increased weights is resolved, then many future vehicle designs cannot be finalised. There has already been more than ten years of not knowing where to go in the commercial vehicle industry."
He said it went against the principles of the European Economic Community, which creates much greater trade freedom than before, that Britain should allow its goods to be transported at an economic disadvantage.
Mr Buckby referred to former Transport Minister William Rodgers' claim that the road haulage industry had failed to make the public aware of its contribution to the economy by not having sought a good image.
He said this claim was nonsense, and cited his own company's "If you've got it, a truck brought it" campaign, the RHA's COMPACT campaign, and the FTA's Delivering the Goods film. This, he suggested, prepresents the start of the love the lorry campaign.
Mr Buckby also had harsh words for the Department of Transport's revised lorry traffic forecasts (CM, July 12), in which a drop of four per cent is predicted for the end of the century.
"I can't accept this pessimistic view because this country must aim for economic growth with higher industrial output, and with more freight to be moved."
Mr Buckby also warned that vehicle excise duty on lorries will be altered so that operators which cause greatest damage to road surfaces will have to pay the most. It is in their best interest to opt for five-axle combinations with properly spaced wheels.