"Even if cowboys are caught the punishments are a joke"
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Brake, the campaign for tougher penalties on operators who break the law, should be supported by all law abiding hauliers, says campaign director Mary Williams.
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ince this month's launch of Brake, the campaign for safe lorries, I have received a tremendous response from the industry. Hauliers have rung me out of the blue, describing the campaign as "brilliant" and "long overdue". Their words are passionate, heartfelt, and gratefully received. It is Brake's view that no reasonable, humane haulier can disagree with our calls for tougher controls, enforcement and punishment of cowboy operators. We all know and despair of the minority of operators who risk lives and cut rates by skimping on maintenance, by not properly securing their loads and trailers, and by not complying with tachograph laws. And we pity drivers who are forced by their bosses to drive for such companies and risk their lives for a living. The Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association, along with the senior Traffic Commissioner and the British Safety Council, agree with many of our aims and we welcome their support. But Brake also calls on individual hauliers and other interested bodies to support the campaign. Support this campaign and tragedies like the six fatalities at Sowerby Bridge in Yorkshire could be prevented in the future. My motivation as campaign director is personal. My mother was killed by a quarry tanker with defective brakes and steering in 1992 while, ironically, I was features editor on Commercial Motor. I was in the middle of a successful campaign on behalf of lorry drivers' health when my mother was crushed to death.
The only punishment of the tanker operator was a 22,300 fine. Brake believes hauliers break the law because they know they can get away with it—the number of enforcement officers is declining so the chances of being caught can be slim. There needs to be many more enforcement officers and the cuts in the Vehicle Inspectorate budget should be reversed. We do not believe roads minister Steven Norris's claim that safety standards will not be compromised by the cuts. Safety standards have already been compromised. Enforcement officers are having to rush around meeting spurious targets rather than carrying out useful in-depth checks. Even if cowboys are caught, the punishments area joke. The maximum Fine in a magistrate's court is just £5,000. The punishment of an unlicensed operator whose defective lorry killed Anette Olsen-Hammond in Cornwall two years ago was a £300 fine for running a lorry with defective brakes. I believe that is no !penalty at all. Brake believes the monetary limit should be abolished and much tougher fines imposed, along with the powers to confiscate unlicensed lorries.
These are just a few of our detailed aims to control cowboy operators. Parliamentary support for all our aims is growing. An early-day motion tabled by our patron, Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, and Peter Bottomley MP has mcre than 70 MP's signatures. Our patron is hoping to table a 10-minute rule bill and hold a Wednesday morning adjournment debate as soon as possible. We are meeting Steven Norris within a month. To help us keep up the momentum, please call us for details of our aims and write to your MP voicing your support. Your words will be invaluable. 7
J To contact Mary Williams call 081744 9798. Any donations should be sent to "Brake", c/o Gwyneth Dunwoody MP, House of Commons, London SW1 A OAA.
• If you want to sound off about a road transport issue write to features editor Patric Cunnane.