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FOREIGN SPEED
Page 26
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In reply to the letter headed "Brits to blame" ( CM29 Aug-4 Sept), it is clear to anyone who uses the stretch of the M20 between Wrotham and Folkestone that foreign registered trucks, including the Irish, are by far the worst offenders for speeding. It is common to see trucks travelling at 70mph. and it makes no difference what nationality the driver is.
The problem is that British registered trucks can easily be traced and the drivers prosecuted—not so with trucks registered abroad. The drivers are only too aware of the problems faced by the police in tracing them, so they exceed the speed limit and gain yet another advantage over the hard-pressed British haulier— hence the call for on-the-spot fines before they exit to another country, only to return next week to speed on our motorways.
I think that Luke M Vernon should do some research as well. The law certainly has changed since the introduction of speed limiters. The speed limit for a goods vehicle over 7.5 tonnes gross is indeed 60mph on our motorways, but any goods vehicle over 12 tonnes gross weight, registered after 1January 1988 must be fitted with a speed limiter to limit its top speed to 85km/f) 153mph).
The 60mph limit only applies to vehicles registered before 1 January 1988 and speed-limiter exempt vehicles.
Michael Anstey AMSOE AMIRTE, Fee t engineer.
GOOD ADVICE
Your report of the WC Commercials case that recently came before the Eastern Traffic Commissioner concerning taking third-party trailers to test (CM5-11Sept) made reference to a claim on behalf of the company that "even a question to the FTA drew the response that an 0licence was not required".
Established in 1997, the FT A's Member Advice Centre has now dealt with some 104,000 member enquiries and I can assure your readers that we are very familiar with the Booth vs DPP ruling on this issue.
While I appreciate your piece merely reported what presumably was said during the case, your readers may be interested to know that no enquires were made of us by WC Commercials, nor would we have expected any as we have no record of a membership under this name.
However, we do know that our response to Hill Hire on 7 February 2002 definitely confirmed that a tractive unit taking a trailer to test should be 0-licensed in the light of DPP vs Booth.
Colin Hagan, Manager, Member Advice Centre, Freight Transport Association,