The president of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has warned that "if the Government want us and other motoring bodies to mobilise the sleeping giant of the motorists' vote, then they are going the right way about it." Michael McAleer reports.
Speaking at the SIMI annual dinner Tony Carey outlined car owners' frustration with the way the Government is dealing with their concerns. SIMI expects 2003 to be another strong year for car sales despite the continued policy of penalising motorists with unjustified and punitive levels of taxation.
On the new Block Exemption rules, he said the industry was sometimes blinded by the variety of new management theories being peddled: "But, in the end, the future lies in continually improving our service to the customer in a fair and honest way. In our line of business, you will not survive without gaining your customers' trust. We are here for the long haul and we in the motor industry are doing our part to regain that public trust."
Mr Carey said that thanks to the motor representative bodies, both the SIMI and those at European level, "the changes have not been as drastic as some predicted."
He also criticised the recent decision to grant planning permission for two petrol outlets run by a supermarket chain. "In the long term it is not good for competition and the consumer. We urge the Minister for the Environment to look again at his regulations on this."