Political Parties Urged Not To Forget About Freight Industry
Tuesday 13th July 2010When last month’s UK General Election resulted in a hung parliament, which eventually led to the formation of an unlikely coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, freight associations came out in force to appeal for more attention from the political parties. Following Chancellor George Osborne’s decidedly austere budget, however, it would seem as if the request by the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and Road Haulage Association (RHA) has largely been ignored.
At a time when Gordon Brown was pondering his political future and David Cameron and Nick Clegg were wondering how to sell chalk and cheese to the British public, the rest of the country seemed undecided on what route ought to be taken following the announcement of a hung parliament. Amid the political turmoil, Britain’s largest freight associations attempted to remind the future government of the importance of a competitive and effective freight industry in the UK.
Peter Quantrill, the Director General of BIFA, said at the time: “Whatever the eventual shape of the new government, joined-up thinking is still needed on the many issues facing those involved in facilitating UK import and export traffic. There must be greater focus on freight transport in Westminster and government must help our members to develop more effective ways to manage international supply chains”.
Meanwhile, Geoff Dunning, the Chief Executive of the RHA, said: “It is essential that the future Government work with the Road Haulage Association across a range of issues to promote high standards in the road haulage and logistics industry. We look forward to engaging positively with them helping achieve the economic regeneration that the UK economy needs”.
Calling for various changes to the UK’s freight industry, including lower taxes, greater crime prevention and reduced fuel duties, the freight associations have been afforded only partial mention in the Chancellor’s budget, which was announced earlier in the week. Aside from reviewing the possibility of a fuel price stabiliser after the summer, Mr Osborne provided little hope for commercial vehicle operators; in fact, with VAT rising to 20 per cent from January 2011, the price of fuel is set to rise further.
A spokesperson for CMS SupaTrak, one of the UK’s leading providers of vehicle tracking products and services, claimed that the new coalition government ought to be doing more to help the freight industry. The spokesperson said: “The hung parliament provided the perfect opportunity for political parties to sit down together and consider how best to steer the country forward after a period of financial gloom. Instead, it seems that the freight industry has once again been overlooked. With fuel prices continuing to rise, fleet tracking solutions have become critical investments for many commercial vehicle operators aiming to survive without the help of the UK Government”.
