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Here and there
Page 68
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Peter On ponders the differences between UK and Continental enforcement of international road haulage and has his say on congestion...
Amixed bag of worms this month:The latest restriction on us international players is that the Belgian authorities do not want heavies overtaking each other when it's raining. More interesting, perhaps, is the signposted restriction on the use of cruise control on certain roads,Antwerp down to Gent being one.! assume this is to ensure that we are in complete control of our vehicle at all times on this busy route.
Meanwhile Germany still hasn't sorted out its toll system, but I'm sure we can all wait a little longer for them to do so.
Something closer to home was brought to my attention recently; it concerns our International Operators' Permit. For those of you who don't know,this is a piece of blue paper issued by the International Road Freight Office in Newcastle.A copy of this has to be kept with the vehicle at all times.
A new version came out in 2000 with a watermark on it. The French authorities are holding permits up to the light and if they can't spot a watermark they accuse you of fraud, sometimes fine you and perhaps even send you back to England.
Since that is the first thing they usually ask for when you come off the ferry and hit French soil,! advise you to either get a replacement if your permit is old or learn French tres rapidement.
Recently! thought I would take this a bit further and asked Customs & Excise if they checked International Permits like their French counterparts."What's a permit? Nothing to do with us..." I suppose we shouldn't be surprised by this response as we all know the enforcement authorities can't see further than a British or Irish number plate. Me, cynical? Surely not. But seriously who, exactly, is ensuring that our competitors are operating over here legally?
There's an advert on television to discourage sad gits like me to give up the weed by showing clogged arteries.To me it somewhat resembles our road network and the performance of the Highways Agency. It's noticeable that our European partners consider their road networks to be a valuable contributor to their industrial performance and major construction seems to be ongoing without, it seems, the added burden of Health and Safety legislation, which we are drowning in.
A couple of years ago! did offer to sort out our road network. I reckoned it would take two years to clear congestion and three more to give the UK the finest road network in Europe. Of course the solution is not hard for any HGV driver to see from the high vantage point of a cab.
Funnily enough,Alistair Darling wasn't interested. He couldn't introduce a congestion charge if there's no congestion now, could he?
It seems likely we're to be stuck with ongoing chaos for the foreseeable future.
I noticed the other day at the start of the M6Toll,the road sign indicating that the M6Toll road was clear. I expect we have more chance of winning the lottery than of the M6 motorway sip saying"clear".
• Fellow owner-drivers, the trade associations, if you are a member, will shortly be asking you to renew your annual fee. Now is a good time to consider if they are doing enough for you.
I urge you to think about it. •