Truckfest is go...
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• Truckfest suffered a setback this week as two manufacturers and an MT haulier of the year decided to pull out—but organisers Live Promotions say the event will still go ahead.
Scania, Mercedes-Benz and operator Stan Robinson Transport have all withdrawn from the show on 6-7 May blaming the foot-and-mouth crisis. Scania's retail operations director Tony Ballinger explains: "We concluded that we cannot justify participating in an event which attracts hauliers from all across the UK into a largely rural area such as Peterborough, which is presently not affected by the disease."
Stan Robinson says: "We should be calling it off because this outbreak is very serious and seems to be spreading like wildfire and we should be seen to contain it."
However, Live Promotions point out that the East of England Agricultural Society—which took advice from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has given Truckfest the green light; in recent weeks the showgrounds have been used for various events such as car racing and speedway Live Promotions' managing director Cohn Ward says: "We take whatever decision we make very responsibly, based on the advice given to us by the showground organisers of the sites we use (who are at the end of day farmers)."