DEAR
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SIR
CRACKDOWN CONCERN • I would like to comment with reference to your recent story about a fly-tipping crackdown (CM 20 December 2 January).
I am a small haulier who operates two six-wheeled mixer trucks and one grab loader tipper and I am extremely concerned about this new regulation that the Government has announced which is due to start in May this year I am all for stopping flytippers, but why should the innocent haulier have to foot the bill because of a small minority of fly-tippers, most of whom do not pay any tax, are unlicenced and do not use official landfill sites.
I thought that we already had a licence, called the 0licence, and that the threat of losing that was enough to stop fly-tipping.
Do we really need two Ii cences to do the same job? In my opinion all this will do is make haulage costs rise, and these additional costs will then have to be passed on to the customer.
I have witnessed a large company with an 0-1icence flytipping, and I wonder how a new licence is going to stop it happening?
The majority of builders are not going to be bothered whether you have a certificate or not, all they want is for the job to be done. A more constructive approach would be to make it mandatory for an 0licence to be revoked if an operator is found guilty of flytipping. It would also help if customers were made responsible for arranging accounts with local tips so that the haulier was free to haul. NA Samms, Harefield, Middx. RISING COSTS • I am writing regarding the recent cover price increase for Commercial Motor.
Just where does the ownerdriver go from here? What have we got to look forward to this year apart from increased costs on insurance, fuel, taxation, vehicle maintenance, and now a rise in the price of our magazine.
How can we be expected to operate within the law when we are forced to drive like mad men to enable us to meet out commitments, and all you can do is jump on the bandwagon with everyone else and put the boot in. It's no wonder that the attitude of many drivers today is to get a big pair of boots, put their foot down hard and to hell with everyone else.
M Dixon,
Dixons International, Norwich, Norfolk. Thanks to Michael Dixon for putting pen to paper. Unfortunately we are not immune from the recession and hence the price increase, which incidentally is below the annual rate of inflation.
We will, however, be making sure that the increase is worth it by offering more news for operators; improved "need to know" features; critical road tests that say what's good and bad about today's generation of new trucks; and by fighting for operators whenever we get the chance — Ed.