Pertinent questions
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Certain points about the tachograph need to be clarified: Tacho failure: who is "responsible?" Would the driver be penalised for not having records as a result of failure?
Interpretation: we have seen too much of this in the past — the DTp has one view, the police another.
Mechanical failure: the starter can fail even on the newest of vehicles, with the result that on instructions, the vehicle is left to tick over while the driver takes a break; on continuing his journey, he is stopped by the police to check the "graph." What would the result be if the driver is "booked" for not having a break?
Speeding: the tacho is only a machine so would a driver be reported to the police for exceeding 62mph even if it had been two days previously.
Also on the subject of speeding, isn't it only right that we should adopt something along the lines of the points system for fines as used in some EEC countries?
Last but not least, how will all this benefit the operator? The cost of the hours regs alone is estimated at £.350m, plus the cost of the tachograph installation itself. And what about turn-around? One can see operators having to buy Tautliners and tilt trailers for domestic use in order to get quick turn-around.
J. SULLIVAN, Fairwater, Cardiff