RHA presses for help for freight haulage industry
Date: 09 August 2007
The ban on the transport of livestock direct to slaughterhouses from farms has been lifted, but the freight haulage industry is nevertheless pressing for aid for hauliers.
A new outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey caused the transport of all livestock to be banned, but Defra lifted it last night. However, an export ban on all livestock, fresh meat and milk products remains in place, as do bans on other movements such as taking animals to market.
The situation has inevitably impacted the freight haulage industry badly, and this comes after haulage firms were just starting to recover from the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.
Road hauliers have never been compensated for lost business over this period, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) notes, even though hotels and restaurants were.
The group called for more to be done to help the freight haulage industry.
"In addition to the obvious financial burden, the livestock transport industry has not properly replaced those operators and drivers lost in the earlier outbreak," said the RHA's Roger Wrapson.
"It is now being asked to invest further in more sophisticated equipment to comply with the new Animal Welfare Regulations, along with the need for drivers to be experienced, well trained and certificated. The industry, including those involved in exports, needs urgent assistance in order to survive.
"In order that history should not repeat itself, the Road Haulage Association will be pressing for immediate action to help those suffering from this latest outbreak."
Measures the RHA wants to see introduced include resuming export shipments quickly, and extended drivers' hours to ensure that an excessive build-up of livestock does not occur.
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