In this week's Motor Transport Robert Durward, director of the British Aggregates Association, sounds off about the Road Transport Directive. The essence of his argument is that the trade associations could have done more to stop the whole thing.
Well he's wrong. We did everything we could. The UK government did not want the directive either, but European Law is what we got and there is not much we can do when the chips are down. Mr Durward is critical of us, but his organisation did not stop the Aggregates Levy from happening because governments' do what they want to do.
He concedes that the legislation is not as bad as feared. The reason this is the case is the intense lobbying by the RHA to blunt the worse excesses. Operators are now coming to terms with the directive and realising that with RHA guidance and our continuing pressure on government we can continue to comply with the spirit of the legislation whilst minimising the impact upon our businesses.
Mr Durward holds out the hope that we can achieve the introduction of an opt out if we are determined enough to pursue one. Sadly this is simply not the case. It would throw our industry into confusion if we held out such a prospect. This opt out is not to be confused with the one the UK was granted to cover general employment law. The RTD is specific and unique and endorsed in law. No opt out is provided for.
We may not like this, indeed we loathe it. It is unfair and unnecessary. But it is the law. Short of the RHA mounting a coup d'etat in Brussels (somewhat unlikely - we are short of tanks) we have to accept reality and work to advise members the best way forward.
ROGER KING
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