Budget for economy
Page 2
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PARLIAMENTARY debates and deliberations in the next six weeks will have a direct bearing on the efficient economic operation of road transport in both the near and long-term future. Chancellor Sir Geoffrey Howe's March 9 Budget must by now be ready for presentation. Transport Minister David Howell has a few more weeks to persuade his back-bench colleagues on the economic sense of heavier goods vehicles.
We can only now wait and hope that the Chancellor will not add to the tax burden of road transport operators.
Increased tax means increased transport rates and these will be reflected in the supermarket shelves and passenger fares.
David Howell is obviously aiming at higher gross weights. It now seems that he can get away with 38 tonnes but may still go for 40 tonnes. He must persuade his vote catching, motivated back-bench colleagues of the economic sense of 40 tonnes, He will also require to allay their fears of the environmental and road-wear effects of heavier weights.
We have carried out extensive research in this area of activity and will be communicating our findings to Members of Parliament before the debate takes place. Trade associations have been actively lobbying individual MPs on the subject. Now comes the time for the big push.
Every operator in the country should write to his MP.
What the MPs need to know are the economic facts, the operational advantages and whether or not the operator would or could take advantage of higher gross weights.
By taking positive constructive action now, operators will go some way to introducing constructive contributions into what has been, until now, an emotional debate.