Friday 14 December 2007

Act now to stop these stupid truckers

I agree that fuel prices are too high at the moment which seriously affects rural dwellers who have to use a car, but the news that hauliers and farmers are to stage a fuel protest convoy on Saturday really gets my goat.

Thank you for clogging up the M74, M8, M9 & A80 just 10 days before Christmas. Thank you for blockading Ineos plant at Grangemouth and scaring the hell out of people that fuel supplies may well be affected. If there's a petrol panic it will be these bullies to blame and not the Government.

In effect these people are asking the Government to give their industries extra subsidies. Well, sorry folks but the taxpayer cannot afford to subsidise every industry and I cannot accept that the road haulage sector is the most efficient in the world. This country needs more freight moving by rail and water and less by road, if for no reason other than the environment. A word of congratulations to WH Malcolm for their very busy rail-road depot which has opened between Johnstone & Paisley, which I pass twice a day commuting to and from work (by train). The business world is harsh and competitive and only the strongest survive, which is a hard truth of our economic system.

Oh yes, how many of the participants will be using reduced duty 'red diesel'?

So Mr Salmond and the Scottish government, are you going to instruct the relevant police forces to restrict the numbers involved and stop road chaos on Saturday, which will probably be the busiest shopping day of the year or are you going to give in to fuel fool bullies?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Couple of points.

No-one is demanding government subsidy. They are demanding a reduction in a government penalty.

Sea transport is already cheaper than road transport. Keeping the price of UK road transport artificially high, and uncompetitive with foreign companies, is not the way to change the balance.

I am all in favour of taking freight off the roads. I not only hate to drive among massed lorries, but I have been hit and nearly killed by one driven badly and I work in competition with them. However you have to be fair and balanced in your criticism, or you will not be credible.

Anonymous said...

They seem to be subsidising the banking industry