Following the publication of the Transport Select Committee’s report “Skills and workforce in the road haulage sector”, Select Committee Member, Karl McCartney JP MP (Lincoln) calls for the transport logistics and haulage sector to “change its mindset” while ensuring the Government does all it can.
This includes making it easier for people to become haulage drivers and for Highways England taking its role more seriously in providing better roadside facilities which the industry has called for1 earlier this week. He also calls for on the Government to be more innovative and open minded on matters such as the trialling of Longer Heavier Vehicles (LHVs).
Karl McCartney JP MP, Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, said: “The road haulage sector is literally a key driver for Britain’s economy and while we need the Government to do all it can to make it easier for people to come into the sector, the industry itself needs to change its mindset.
“The sector has to take more responsibility for its own future, including investing far more in training to bring new people in and also paying higher wages to make these vital jobs more attractive. This is how a free market works. It is even more important in the coming Post-Brexit era when there is likely to be stricter controls on employing foreign drivers so relying on cheaper labour will no longer be an answer.
“The Government certainly has a role to play and given the huge amount of money raised by road taxes, Highways England can no longer sit on its hands and not provide the roadside facilities the industry is crying out for. If the Government can be more innovative that would also be helpful and removing the Luddite Department for Transport person responsible for not allowing at the very least trialling Longer Heavier Trailers such as those promoted by Denby Transport in Lincolnshire, would be a good place to start.”
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1 Transport Focus report “Take a break – Road users’ views about roadside facilities” issued 26 July 2016
For further information, please contact Karl McCartney MP at [email protected] / 020 7219 7221.
