Memorandum by D S Burton Road Transport
Ltd (RH 43)
INTRODUCTION
We are a small road transport company established
20 years operating 14 vehicles and trailers, the work is general
haulage covering all UK and Europe Germany, Holland, Spain, France.
We submit evidence under the headings of your
Press release No 8 dated 14 January 2000.
The road haulage industry, the way in which
it operates its contribution to the economy of the UK, its impact
on the environment.
The road haulage industry carries around 90
per cent of all goods moved within the UK, this proves the demand
for lorries is a proven fact, we as a company are not against
rail freight when economically viable or regionally possible,
even doubling rail freight this would leave approx 80 per cent
of goods to be moved by road transport.
Most transport companies are small privately
owned, operating under normal UK competition rules, most are members
of either RHA/FTA Association and meet often to discuss our industries
problems as you are aware. Our industry is vital to the UK economy
but it cannot function profitably with the unfair competition
from EU Member states and Eastern European such as Willie Betz
whom contribute nothing to UK economy.
EU Member operators pay some 30-40 per cent
less for their fuel, some 20 per cent less VED. Our safety rules
are far more stringent than other member states, bearing in mind
we as a company are all for good for safety procedures, but this
is still further costs other member states do not incur all we
ask for is a level playing field on duty costs, as we know and
are the most safe and efficient industry in Europe.
For the record we have been working with six
vehicle for a Dutch company with offices in UK for the last 10
years, in the last six months this company has asked us to reduce
our transport rates by 12 per cent, also they have themselves
registered 20 vehicles in Holland using British drivers. We have
had to recline from their work with the loss of half of these
employees, we have also lost a contract to Barcelona to Spanish
operators whom run on very subsided fuel and VED, these operators
do not pay daily Vigenetts as we do, we cannot compete.
UK operators are now using clean ULSD FUEL as
against other member states using dirty fuel how is this helping
the environment.
We need action and we need it now otherwise
the UK transport industry will be lost to the Europeans this must
not happen.
David Burton, Director
February 2000
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