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Private escort plans delayed
Page 8
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David Harris reports on hold-up in plans to privatise abnormal load escorts
POLICE PLANS to privatise the escorting of many abnormal loads have been delayed until 1 January to give more time for guidelines to be drawn up.
The privatisation is intended to save police time and money while simplifying the work of heavy hauliers who have frequently complained that the current system waiting at each force boundary for another escort to arrive is far from efficient.
The Association of Chief Police Officers originally intended to change the escorting system on 1 October, but now accepts that more time was needed to finalise the guidelines.
Steve Biddle, head of technical services at the Road Haulage Association, says that hauliers support the change, but clear standards on when and how private escorts can operate need to he agreed. The guidelines will set out national standards for which sort of loads need escorts and specify the training and equipment necessary to escort abnormal loads.The police must still be informed of all abnormal loads, and the type of escort required will be agreed in each case. It is likely that anyone running an abnormal load escort will have to be formally approved.
The Warwickshire police force has already largely stopped providing hauliers with escorts because:"It is a huge cost in terms of police resources for a function that does not require police powers." a representative explains.
The changes have been triggered by this year's Police Reform Act. which allows many police powers to be taken over by accredited civilians. The largest loads-and any which cause major traffic disruption will continue to be escorted by the police.