DEAR
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Budget whips up a storm
NEN before I had finished eading your editorial on the 3udget (CM, March 21) I was nwardly (and probably )utwardly) seething with anger.
I can understand the Prime Ilinister and MPs generally laving no knowledge, or even :aring about lorries, but you Sir, )ug ht to know better. No burden ndeed.
How do you think hauliers vho are desperately struggling o keep existing contracts are joing to pass on the istronomical increase in the )rice of dery and the additional oad fund tax?
Have you not heard that lundreds of lorries are idle and ales are being cut to ribbons ust to keep vehicles out of the +ard? Just tell a customer his ales will have to go up seven )er cent (this only covers dery ind road tax) and he will tell you le has someone waiting to do he job at your old rate or less. )f course road transport will :arry the burden or go broke rying.
So the increase broken down s infinitesimal is it? I use 35 to 10 gallons per day in an eightwheeler carrying stone to the onstruction industry, another fery sick customer. At 17p per Jallon with vat deducted this works out at between £6 and £7 )er day, which (together with )pproximately 80p per day extra "oad tax) effectively reduces my weekly earnings by between £34 n d £39.
Unfortunately, unlike :ommercial Motor — when 'aced several weeks ago with ncreased costs and which had he audacity to raise the price of :heir product by 40 per cent from ?5p per week to 35p per week — aauliers have no chance of areaking even.
No Budget has ever created such an outcry, and rightly so in -ny opinion, but never has a -nore disgraceful editorial appeared in a magazine
supported and funded by people in the haulage industry. I would suggest that treason is not too strong a word for your betrayal of the industry you purport to speak for.
W. R. WARWICK Leeds We do not purport to speak for anyone, we do speak to road transport. Operators and their trade associations are talking about cost increases varying from 21/2 per cent, 4 per Cent, not 7 per cent as Mr Warwick claims. Cost increases must always be reflected in rate increases and those who cut rates at anytime are on the first steps to bankruptcy. To do so now is suicidal — Editor.