Professional Recovery 374

RECOVERYINSIDER
The story doesn’t end there, as I think the problem can only
get worse before it gets better and I’m not laying the problem
back at the feet of the independent operator’s customers or
as we term them today work providers. No, they know fully
how they can help, and let’s not forget, that whole insurancebased
arena cannot operate without a viable and sustainable
independent network, even those yellow orange and green vans
need the support of the independent operator, so it’s your
responsibility as well.
As an industry we have failed to combat those external forces
of local government and those quango university graduates who
have no conception on any real life. Myself and Richard Goddard
had first hand experience dealing with Transport for London
and fighting for a ‘sunset period’ for the London operator. With
regard to the first expansion of the ULEZ, clearly, they didn’t
understand one end from the other where a recovery truck
was concerned, they said if you cannot afford a replacement
truck then have the exhaust system converted, they said. They
insultingly asked if we knew there was a retro fit exhaust available
to all commercial vehicles.
That massive investment an operator had to make upgrading
his fleet was simply considered to be just another a commercial
decision, and if your truck was not compliant then pay the daily
charge and pass the cost onto your end user. I’m sure those work
providers will happily cover that charge.
That meeting with TfL was January 2019, and here we are 4
years later and now we have the second expansion of the ULEZ
just around the corner - this coming August. Only this time
it includes all the London boroughs, but that is the tip of the
iceberg.
We now have hundreds of miles of dedicated cycle lanes
taking up vital road space, and now we have more and more Low
Traffic Neighbourhoods popping up at every turn as you pass
through London, delaying your journey and as a result probably
adding to the bad air.
Now I said we would go back to the environmental
sustainability, is that what it’s all about sustainability, or is it all
about control, because the latest environmental talk is not about
clean air zones. No that expanding plan continues UK wide but
the new expanding minefield is the ‘the 15 Minute City’.
So, if the clean air zones, low traffic neighbourhoods and cycle
lanes haven’t added to the misery of how you conduct your
business, those green obstacles that have quickly made London
the most congested city in the world, with cameras being set
up to control ULEZ, when really those cameras will that control
London’s future road pricing agenda, “a 15 Minute City”. The
concept here will definitely add to the misery, you should be
able to do everything socially that you need to do daily within 15
minutes of your home.
The car as a mode of transport will not be stopped, however
there is talk of a restriction being placed on how many times you
can leave the zone within a 30-day period and further talk of this
being restricted to 100 per month before a fine is imposed.
Now I’m not one of your eco warriors suggesting we try to stop
this, society along with “Swampy” and those mad protesters can
do that, supergluing themselves to the road or council building…
it is tempting though!
For once this won’t be tested in London first, no that’s
set to be Oxford and is scheduled to be in place by 2040,
where it’s tested is not the point, as so many of our towns
and cities have seen this infrastructure added, and all in the
name of sustainability, or is this really the pre-planning of a
UK wide of 15-minute cities or better described as 15-minute
Neighbourhoods.
The recovery industry made a big mistake over the costly
introduction of Euro 6 and not being listened to and setting to
fight for its rights. A big part of this erosion into everybody’s
livelihoods could be blamed for the demise of those longstanding
family business that have decided to close, or maybe
they had to foreclose before the banks did it.
Now if the recovery industry doesn’t start its fight now,
so it has a free roam and a full exemption to any 15-minute
Neighbourhood, then those business who made that conscious
decision all those years ago to place their business where they
do today in the heart of any city or neighbourhood, could well be
penalised in the future, as some are penalised today having their
businesses within a clean air zone and a no cost option.
I believe its time your trade associations set the fight and in a
big way, AVRO are perfectly set to do this with there 12 Regions.
Create and agree a plan, that could be the difficult bit, but then
ensure the recovery industry is listened to at that local council
and government level.
My advice is do it NOW before it’s too late!
Keep Safe.
Derek Firminger FIVR, MSOE MIRTE.
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12 PROFESSIONAL RECOVERY MAGAZINE
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