During the lockdowns we may of been regarded slightly better by the public for working through and keeping the shelves supplied, maybe still are by some due to the threat of empty shelves following the driver shortage. However LBC this morning has truly made it apparent that this is wholly incorrect. We are in fact the absolute lowest of the low. The new getting though on crime proposals by Priti Patel were being discussed by Nick Ferrari and the Crime and Policing Minister Kit Malthouse. One of them was the old chestnut that they were going to get yobs and prisoners to pick litter and clean graffiti as a deterrent and payback to society. This proposal was rubbished by both Nick and Kit as ludicrous because it would be demeaning to people who’s job was to pick litter and clean graffiti as it would appear they are no better than criminals and yobs. Then the driver shortage came up with a different caller only 10 mins later. This genius has decided it is a good idea to go into prisons and recruit them to drive HGV, not a new idea granted and been done before but they were both in agreement what a wonderful idea it was to rehabilitate the offenders and solve the shortage all in one. So i think I will be re-training as a litter picker as that job will be less demeaning
I’m all for rehabilitation, but make them pay back the money for the HGV lessons like we had to pay for ours.
As for litter picking,me,I would make prisoners sort rubbish out,all the stuff that people haven’t recycled properly. Not pleasant,but it would act as a deterrent from ending up in jail.
Talk is cheap and that’s all this is, more hot air
The government have no intention of doing anything substantial about the much publicised HGV driver shortage other than token gestures.
There’s no reason to pander to the RHA or any other transport industry organisation because as far as HMG is concerned, it’s not their mess and it’s been years in the making, the industry has failed spectacularly to ensure a new generation of drivers to keep their businesses running.
Temporary visas for EE drivers? Not happening
Retraining prisoners as lorry drivers has been done to death already, nothing ever came of it. Good luck finding someone willing to give someone straight out of nick £100k of vehicle and tens of thousands of quids worth of load on the back.
Conor:
Retraining prisoners as lorry drivers has been done to death already, nothing ever came of it. Good luck finding someone willing to give someone straight out of nick £100k of vehicle and tens of thousands of quids worth of load on the back.
Depends what the crime was though?
Theft etc probably no chance of a container job, but why not a waste recycle job?
Or if convicted of a crime of violence put them on RDC work…
We will benefit when the reception staff learn who might be next!
I don’t see why priority training should be given to upskill those that are doing time for crime. Would it be because lorry driving is seen as undesirable? Well, make it more desirable then. ■■■■■■■ idiots, couldn’t even run a bath, never mind the country.
Hmmmm seems to have all gone a bit “cool hand luke”
Noremac:
I don’t see why priority training should be given to upskill those that are doing time for crime. Would it be because lorry driving is seen as undesirable? Well, make it more desirable then. [zb] idiots, couldn’t even run a bath, never mind the country.
Yes, bloody right.
Sploom:
I’m all for rehabilitation, but make them pay back the money for the HGV lessons like we had to pay for ours.
As for litter picking,me,I would make prisoners sort rubbish out,all the stuff that people haven’t recycled properly. Not pleasant,but it would act as a deterrent from ending up in jail.
Trouble with all this free prison labour is you put someone out of a job or undercut their wages. Thats why it never works in the USA but is still popular among business owners prison labour undercuts everyone else.
I have always been surprised to find that Ferrari can get his head and his ego inside a radio studio.
cav551:
I have always been surprised to find that Ferrari can get his head and his ego inside a radio studio.
I can’t listen to him. Not because of his views - I like listening to all perspectives - but my mate pointed out to me once that if you listen carefully you can hear him nostril breathing which winds me up and ever since that i can’t not notice it so had to switch off 
Let’s be a little honest here.
It’s been a very long time since anyone thought we are ‘Knights of the road’. In todays selfish & aggressive society we are simply a nuisance. We are constantly holding up people in German cars/vans/suv’s who are far more important than us.
A toot of your horn usually results in hand gestures, brake testing, swerving about etc… and then there are our own idiots in the ranks who drive wagons like Vauxhall Corsa’s whilst texting on their phone.
For me the job is simply a way to make money. If I was offered the same income for litter picking I would ■■■■■■ your hand off.