Bespattered Panorama
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Oo Monday evening 81 million viewers saw black sheep in road transport highlighted on B.B.C.'s Panorama programme. For the record, the featured M.o.T. roadside check revealed half the lorries inspected to be defective and two so bad as to warrant immediate prohibition.
With understandable resentment, operators could justifiably claim that every industry has its black sheep. Road transport just happens to be in the public eye. Moreover with around l million commercial vehicles on the road the culprits are—statistically—only a small minority.
Rational though such reactions are, they do not represent the general public's image of road transport, however exaggerated or misconceived that image might he.
Cut-rate operation necessitating minimum maintenance and maximum hours is nothing new, unfortunately. What is new is that through the medium of mass communication a substantial proportion of the entire population can be led to believe that the exception is the rule.
What can the road transport industry do about it? It must be recognized that too much time in the past has been spent preaching to the converted and passing resolutions up and down the procedural ladder deprecating such malpractices. Employers cannot flout basic costing principles with impunity indefinitely. Equally union demands for enhanced Overtime payments are inconsistent with cotnplaints that their members are being overworked.
To curb, let alone eliminate, the activities of the small but damaging section of road transport positive and concerted action is essential, coupled with an acceptance of contributory responsibility.