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Continental lorry inquiry urged
Page 32
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• Secretary for Trade and Industry Mr Peter Walker has been asked to order an inquiry to determine the level of control exercised by the police over Continental heavy lorries.
The request has been made to him in a letter by Mr Ray Carter, Labour Is/IP for Northfield, Birmingham, who claims that the ability of the police to control and, where necessary, apprehend heavy duty traffic from Europe, is "illusory".
According to Mr Carter, he has been told by Birmingham police that, for example, even if a lorry driver from say Holland was booked for carrying an unsafe load, or if he was involved in an accident, their power to detain either the lorry or the driver, due to a number of factors, was very limited indeed. If the lorry was carrying many tons of perishable goods, toxic substances or a variety of other materials delay would not be possible particularly if the journey was already one or two days old.
Then again the documents of many Continental drivers and lorries were written in the language of origin and combined with the frequent inability of the driver to speak English communication and law enforcement were extremely difficult. However assuming all things were equal and a driver and his lorry were found to be in breach of the law and notice of intended prosecution was both made and understood the experience of the police in getting such people to return and face the courts was, to say the least, discouraging.
"The irony of this situation" says Mr Carter, "is that we are now being compelled to abide by EEC regulations as far as lorries are concerned yet the police are virtually powerless in their ability to enforce supervision of them. On the most critical aspect of these regulations, the increased weight, I am told that it would be extremely difficult for the police to detain a lorry, find a public weighbridge and carry out the necessary checks, again for all the previously mentioned reasons.
"Additionally as far as driving hours are concerned it is quite impossible for the police to ascertain precisely how long a driver may•have been driving before arriving in this country, and even when here control of this aspect is difficult. The subsequent danger to road safety is only too apparent.
"It would seem to me that with all the public concern that has been expressed about 'juggernaut' lorries and the recent changes in the law an immediate inquiry should be established in order to determine the level of control that is necessary and more to the point possible.
"In the meantime the police should be advised that where they suspect either a driver or lorry to he in breach of the law they should have no fears about upholding the letter of the law even though Continental transport interests may strongly react".