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Regs sans frontieres

24th February 2000
Page 9
Page 9, 24th February 2000 — Regs sans frontieres
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Good news on two fronts this week for all international operators who like to stay the right side of the drivers' hours regs. First is the EC decision to unify the interpretation of drivers' hours rules across the EU, which will hopefully put an end to confusion about what's legal and what's not. Judging by the number of enquiries CM gets about them, this cannot come soon enough!

Second, of course, are the plans to allow UK enforcement authorities to prosecute UK operators for drivers' hours offences committed abroad. For far too long our authorities have been powerless to act against habitual offenders who return with tacho charts screaming of blatant offences. But if the proposals are adopted—and there's a good chance they will be if the government keeps its promises to tighten up enforcement—these charts can be inspected and acted upon at the leisure of the UK authorities. This will send a powerful and lasting message to those who habitually flout the law and at the same time help cut out dangerous and illegal driving practices that can lead all too easily to the loss of lives.

In fact the only problem with these new proposals is that prosecution will necessarily depend upon tachograph evidence. Sadly, details of the looming changeover to digital tachographs are still far from dearcut: specifications are still to be determined, and there are fears that drivers will actually have even greater opportunities to break the law until they are made secure. The powersthat-be must make the technology watertight, and soon, Wit is not to make a mockery of their other efforts to ensure enforcement really works and pirates are brought to book.

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Organisations: European Union

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