The impact of the government’s transport policy on the UK timber trade was debated at a recent meeting between the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) and transport minister David Jamieson.
Items on the agenda were the 48-hour working time directive, congestion charging, the modernisation fund and the burden of fuel duty on the road haulage industry.
Mark O’Brien, TTF head of public affairs, said: ‘The meeting was very positive and the minister and his officials genuinely seemed to listen.
‘The impact of increased congestion resulting from fewer journeys being made by the same drivers at a time when the road haulage industry is facing recruitment problems can only be counter-productive. The minister assured us that it was no intention of the government to damage business and that further negotiations still had to take place.’
As regards congestion charging, any exemptions or reductions for road haulage had to be decided on an individual local authority basis, Mr O’Brien said.
‘The issue of attracting more people into the haulage business was a marketing and recruitment issue for the industry and £5m was available through the Modernisation Fund. Involving local Learning and Skills Councils is one way of making progress in encouraging more people into the industry.’
The least satisfactory part of the meeting was when the minister and his officials seemed to argue that the high cost of fuel could be offset by savings from improved fuel efficiency.
‘The government must be made to realise that any industry dependent on road haulage continues to be pressurised by disproportionately high fuel duty. We will continue to press the government along with the CBI, Construction Products Association and the Freight Transport Association to reduce this burden,’ said Mr O’Brien.
