Jaw-jaw success claimed for RHA trailer exercise
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The RHA's COMPACT unit exhibition trailer was parked in Battersea Park for the duration of a bank holiday Wheels of Yesteryear rally, and officials and members were on duty to give the industry's case against environmental complaints.
Area secretary Barry Knaggs told CM that staff were particularly busy on Monday, especially during rain showers when visitors took shelter in the vehicle, and said that he had "good discussions" with many of them.
Mr Knaggs said that few of the visitors to the trailer had any connections with the transport industry, and said that several complained of problems with "bigger lorries" and road damage. He said that many were convinced by the RHA's practical demonstration that its prototype 38-tonne trailer is no larger then existing vehicles, and that they accepted, in some cases, that roads were often damaged by cut-backs in maintenance, rather than by the sheer weight of the lorries' "Some absolutely anti-lorry people came away from our discussions saying they had heard some things to think about," he added.
Mr Knaggs said he considered it vital to talk directly to the public, rather than just to politicians, and said that the comparative success of last weekend's exercise, which was supported by IVECO, had encouraged him to do the same again.