RHA fears change
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HAULAGE operators are worried that the Department of Transport's proposed streamlining of traffic area boundaries (CM, June 12) will mean dealing with more remote offices.
A Road Haulage Association spokesman told CM that operators are particularly worried that the merging of the Yorkshire and Northern areas into a North-Eastern area could lead eventually to the Newcastle upon Tyne traffic area office being closed.
He said that members feel that Leeds is too far away from their bases for them to visit it in the course of their normal duties, and would prefer any Newcastle closure to be accompanied by closure of the Leeds office, and for a new office to be opened in Darlington.
He confirmed that members in Clwyd, Powys, and Gwynedd are "very upset" about the pro posed creation of a single traffic area for Wales (CM, July 31).
They intend to protest vigorously against any plan to take them out of the NorthWestern traffic area, as they say that they have more in common economically and socially with Merseyside and Greater Manchester than they do with South Wales.
The spokesman added that poor road communications between North and South Wales make the Manchester traffic office a more attractive centre for those members.
The RHA is also unhappy about the proposal to transfer the northern part of Derbyshire from the Yorkshire area to the new enlarged Eastern traffic area, and would prefer it to form part of the North Eastern area.
It would prefer South Humberside to form part of the Eastern area, and for Oxfordshire to be in it rather than the Western area.
In the RHA's view, there is no compelling reason why traffic area boundaries should conform with county boundaries, and it fears that any such changes will lead only to extra administrative work which will inconvenience the industry, but bring no benefit the industry, and bring no benefit in return.