We can’t let road hauliers hold us to ransom

IT is reported that road hauliers are threatening to “withdraw their services” unless the government bales them out from rising fuel costs.

Be afraid, be very afraid. In Britain, a few years ago, a handful of truckers used their juggernauts to create blockages, holding the country to ransom.

Each one has more power than thousands of demonstrators on foot. Filling stations ran dry and supermarket shelves emptied.

The country was days away from collapse when the government caved in by cutting taxes.

Oil production has been on a plateau since 2004, only up 3% from 1998, and is unable to meet rising demand from transport, which is doubling every 15 years. Everyone and everything is suffering from the recession.

Why should they deserve special treatment? J

uggernauts are almost entirely responsible for road damage and maintenance costs and hauliers are already heavily subsided. Commercial transport is inefficient.

For example, food which might have been grown next door is trucked up and down the county and white van cowboys deliver parcels which could be sent in the post.

Higher costs would result in greater efficiency.

It is hypocritical for governments, pressurised by the road lobby, to prevent market forces from acting with scams and subsidies which will only make matters worse.

Michael Job

Glengarriff

Co Cork