Massey Wilcox Transport's MD says the government should consider scrapping a raft of red tape to help the industry. Robert Wilcox was responding to business secretary John Hutton's proposals for a system of regulatory budgets for the government to limit the cost of new regulation, announced last week.
Wilcox says: "We all know health and safety regulation has gone overboard. We are getting site safety plans from everyone we deliver to or collect from and are expected to copy and hand out
to every driver who might have a need to visit."
Wilcox says other areas in which the government could cut red tape include regulations surrounding drivers' hours, the London lorry ban, congestion charging, parking charges, ADR training and weight limits. He believes the Working Time Directive has not made "an iota of difference" to a truck driver's working hours and has only produced another set of rules to struggle with.
Geoff Dossetter, director of external affairs at the Freight Transport Association, says the government needs to strike a balance between regulation and freedom for
businesses to operate.
He adds: "The haulage industry used to have a bad reputation, but the operator licensing regime has been a good thing in raising standards. However, hauliers have had to put up with a torrent of form filling."
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