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View Full Version : Forth bridge Road Haulage Costs Rise and Issues



rob murray
08-Dec-15, 10:18
WHoeve is at fault with the Forth road bridge : Serious issues are emerging :

Road Haulage chief executive Richard Burnett said the Scottish government did not appear to appreciate fully the extra costs being borne by hauliers .He said: "The knock-on effects for hauliers are already beginning to bite, "Although we welcome the dedicated HGV route on the A985, the additional cost to hauliers is immense. "The extra cost for a single HGV to replace what is in effect, a 2.5 mile journey with a detour that can amount to approximately a 60 mile round trip will add an extra £30 in fuel costs alone. "With an estimated 10,500 HGVs using the bridge each day, the additional operating costs for the industry will be well in excess of £600,000 per day."Already we have had reports from members who have had no alternative but to ask their customers for a rate rise. A request that has, unsurprisingly, been met with a great deal of resistance.
"In addition to the increase in operating costs, the overall efficiency of the haulage industry in Scotland is already being greatly reduced as a journey that would take 30 minutes can now take up to three hours if the route is congested."


Mr Burnett said there was concern the extra costs meant Scottish hauliers would be unable to compete for contracts. He added: ""This current state of affairs in unsustainable and we shall be pushing the Scottish government for compensation.
"Hauliers, already working to tight margins simply cannot absorb these extra costs."We need answers.

Why, despite regular routine inspections, were these defects not picked up before? And why did they become so serious so quickly?