The primary role of the Bank’s agents is to assess the economy as seen by the part of the country they cover and the business group said its meeting this week with Robert Elder helped highlight the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of road transport.
RHA MD Richard Smith said among other subjects, they also discussed skills and labour requirements: “Driver and technician recruitment and retention remain a challenge and we shared our driver report examining the realities ahead, alongside potential flexible training solutions,” he said.
“There was genuine recognition in the room of how interconnected our sector is with broader economic stability.”
Smith added: “As part of our conversations, we discussed the pressures operators face, from rising costs to regulatory compliance, and how these factors compound to create a challenging environment.
“We also looked at future technology adoption, the growth of AI, the decarbonisation journey.
“I highlighted our future of fleets readiness report that looked at current barriers and potential solutions on the road to net zero.
“I appreciated the opportunity and I’m encouraged by a willingness to continue this collaborative approach with our key sector.”
The RHA is hosting a one-day ‘future forum’ at The Vox in Birmingham next month, which aims to explore the challenges faced by the industry and the opportunities that businesses can seize as technology evolves.
New senior traffic commissioner Kevin Rooney will be present to update attendees on regulatory changes.