The Role of the RHA by Phil Flanders, Director, Scotland & Northern Ireland - Edinburgh meeting of Tuesday 3rd October 2012

Phil spoke about the changes in government structure since he started with RHA in 1998. Issues with the Scottish Government included lorry parking, railfreight on which RHA had held a seminar since hauliers could be more flexible, winter resilience and other natural disasters, A9 upgrading and an A83 stakeholders group for repairs to landslides, and lorry emissions.

RTPs had provided RHA with the Nestrans Freight Quality Partnership and the North Channel Partnership, while they were a consultee of local authorities on road upgrades and worked with them on air quality. Until two years ago Edinburgh had been the enemy, but with the arrival of Marshall Poulton there has been a greater understanding, with a freight action plan.

Westminster issues had included lorry taxation, and EU ones include lorry weights and drivers hours. Driver training was an ongoing issue with the Traffic Commissioner. The road haulage industry had helped deliver the London Olympics, and RHA worked closely with SCDI, CBI, Scottish Chambers to make Scotland more competitive.

Report and photograph by John Yellowlees.