10 | OPINION
Let us not waste a crisis Bus and coach operators have seen their activities come tto a complete halt, and while truck operators operato have not been as badly affected, man many have not escaped. Some companies have seen their volumes reduce, leading lea to layoffs. Even the companie companies that have not seen a big reductio reduction in activity will fi nd their operatin operating costs have increased because productivity is reduced as a resu result of most manufacturing plants imposing im some restrictions as truck trucks arrive to make collections and deli deliveries. Maintaining social distanci distancing creates cost also.
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ver the years we have all heard the phrases, ‘strange and uncertain times’ along with ‘an uncertain future’. However I think whatever crises we encountered in the past, we have never seen a happening that has matched what we are now witnessing. I cannot think of any time in the past that there was so much uncertainty facing every business, not only in Ireland, but throughout the world. I don’t think the outlook is hopeless or apocalyptic, in fact, I am confident the world economy will emerge from this fracture. We have seen huge loss of life, as well as stories and accounts of terrible events where loved ones become separated while at their most vulnerable. Not being able to share the intimacy that is a part of death and part of the bereavement process has been most difficult. In business terms the suffering is probably yet to come. Like the party game ‘musical chairs’ there won’t be chairs for everyone when the music stops. For now many businesses and operations are in some form of slumber. When it is time to wake up and try and commence trading again, business leaders and trade associations need to represent their members now and even more in the months ahead. FLEETTRANSPORT | MAY 20
One of tthe more recent trends in transport iis the growth in the delivery of goods bbought ‘on-line’ direct to home Heralded as the new way people’s homes. bus to shop, the business model here needs a lot adjustm before it can be regarded of adjustment anyt as anything near perfect. A lot of discu discussion centres on what the fancy term ‘last mile delivery’ means and there have been many seminars and presentations as to how this perceived problem can be dealt with. How can it be made efficient and workable for everyone? You could be cynical and say, ‘just give the guy doing the last mile a fairer share of the revenue’ and this will go a long way to solving the problem. Sitt ing in the comfort of your home in the company of a glass of wine while shopping on the internet sounds good, especially as when you wake up the next morning you can expect to receive your purchases at your front door. It even conjures up an image of being ‘kind to the environment’ as it seems less people need to go shopping. Not sure about that part. One problem this current crisis has highlighted is delivery capacity. Some of the supermarkets are now saying they do not have any capacity for extra deliveries. So, if there was a permanent shift to on-line shopping, could these systems be designed to cope?
that will break the country with regulation and cost. Surely, the language used should be more encouraging, with more carrot than stick from the Greens? If the Green Party is to be taken seriously, it needs to treat us, businesses and citizens alike, with some level of honesty. Respect for the environment is one of the few winners so far as the amount of transport worldwide continues to slow; let’s bank that and try to reduce emissions without strangling the world economy. And whatever Government is formed, let us hope that the new Transport Minister will be enthusiastic about the transport aspect of their brief and be as much a protector of the industry as a regulator. Now let us get back to how the economy will get back on its feet. There will be many challenges and problems. We do not know what the effect on people’s habits will be as they emerge from this crisis. Everybody in the country will have been affected by the last few months in slumber. The vaccine from a business point of view has been in existence for years. It’s tried and trusted and there is a fair amount of it around. Money. For sure there is a limited amount of money available, but if we have the medical expertise to get us out of the pandemic, then we surely have the fiscal expertise. Like the medics who may have to make decisions on who lives or dies, so too will politicians have decisions to make as to what businesses survive. Any company that came into the current crisis in bad shape will fi nd it difficult to get through. Government may decide to let the market dictate and survival of the fittest could be the policy. Those companies that have low borrowings and some cash deposited will be the most likely to weather this situation, but even these companies will need to be sure that there is demand for their service and that they will then get paid for it. We face difficult times in the coming years. There is a saying in business, ‘do not waste a crisis.’ It’s good advice, let’s not.
Another immediate issue is the formation of a Government. We have seen a degree of political leadership in the past few weeks that must of us have only read about in history books. Can this leadership be brought in to the formation of a Government and a better society? I am concerned that the Green Party is putt ing demands in place Text: Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie
