RHA the voice of the industry - Geoff Dunning

Issue: Spring 2010

The Budget on 24th March was widely seen as the last significant act of the current Government, pending an announcement of the General Election date.

 It is quite possible that, by the time you read this, the date will have been confirmed as 6th May – the date currently forecast. The Budget was generally seen as an astute piece of politics, striking a balance between blatant electioneering and the need to address the very substantial financial challenges that we face. From a transport perspective it was particularly clever. By announcing a number of staged fuel duty increases, the Chancellor could be seen to be responding to the concerns expressed by RHA and others about the problems caused by rising fuel prices, but he did not cancel the rises, he merely postponed them. What the Chancellor did not do was address the longstanding and steadily deteriorating issue of foreign operators. Successive reports from the Transport Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee have drawn attention to the impact of foreign vehicles on our roads, yet the Government has done the very bare minimum that allows them to claim that action is being taken.

This issue will be at the top of the RHA’s agenda in dealing with the new Government, and it will be a long agenda. There are many other areas where we need action and this reflects the very real contribution that the haulage industry makes to the economy and the significant role that we will play in delivering the recovery from recession that we all hope for. Other issues include the need for a reality check when it comes to the potential offered by rail: we accept that there is a role, but we must keep it in proportion, and not disadvantage every truck in the hope that some freight will transfer to rail. We need to address the carbon agenda, but, again, not in a way that disregards economic reality: road haulage is quite often a single link in a complex supply chain, with savings being made in one area by spending more on transport. This is another area where balanced debate is required, not rhetoric.

There are many other issues that need to be tackled, each every bit as important as those mentioned above. We need a good road network that is properly maintained, managed and developed. We need the Police to treat truck crime as the serious crime that it really is. We need parking and rest facilities that reach a decent standard. We need to see the truck as a ‘freight bus’ and given the same priority on congested roads as passenger buses. We need to see our customers accepting that they must pay for the quality of service that they expect, and we need to see enforcement bodies with the resources that allow them to find those who put lives and reputable businesses at risk by cutting corners. We need a Government that recognises the significance of the UK road haulage industry. 

Geoff Dunning is Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Association. For further information, visit: www.rha.uk.net

Published: 20/04/2010