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With Brexit just around the corner, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has renewed its call for a Freight Commissioner to be appointed in London to safe-guard the logistics industry and its delivery work during and after Brexit. Protecting British Hauliers and Drivers As we enter a new political and economic era, the FTA has recommended that an experienced commissioner should be appointed for London to ensure that the capital’s logistics are protected and enhanced both during the process of leaving the EU and after Britain has left the union. With the support of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the FTA is being proactive and is championing for a strong voice to represent the freight industry. The association wants to ensure that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, follows through on his Transport Strategy and keeps London’s road trade competitive post-Brexit. Its primary concern is to protect British hauliers and drivers, as these hard-working people, who have to deal with irregular hours, long-haul delivery work and time away from their families, deserve to have a say in how their industry is handled. The FTA states that having a Commissioner work directly under Khan will help ensure that a thought-out and longstanding operational plan is put in place and implemented correctly. The FTA is confident that such a Commissioner will be successful, as the city’s newly appointed Commissioner for Walking and Cycling has had a significant and positive impact on his subdivision of the transport sector. Maintaining a First-Class Service By providing its population with essential shopping deliveries, including food, clothes and medicines, as well as building materials and construction tools for new housing and offices, the logistics industry’s delivery work plays a crucial role in London’s development. It has also met the Mayor’s Transport for London regulations. Drivers and hauliers have gone to great lengths to minimise their carbon footprint and maximise road safety, and a Commissioner could be invaluable in maintaining the high-quality services that the industry and its members have provided so far. Natalie Chapman, Head of Policy for London at the FTA, said that all freight businesses “deserve a champion who can ensure they are supported in providing the high-quality and reliable service Londoners have come to expect”. She later added that “they deserve the support of a dedicated, distinctive voice that a Freight Commissioner would provide”. Keeping London Moving The haulage industry is at the very heart of the UK’s capital. There are more than 200,000 Londoners who work in the logistics industry and provide several thousand businesses and private individuals with their required goods. Each year, these hauliers and drivers successfully complete their delivery work and transport over 130 million tonnes of freight in and out of this British city. As Chapman pointed out, “this rapidly growing city depends on reliable and efficient logistics”. She added that “freight is the cog around which the whole city turns”. To keep London moving, it’s likely that British hauliers and drivers would benefit from a Commissioner, who could rise to the challenge of protecting their delivery work. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching delivery work with available drivers. Over 4,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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