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hauliers slam Police
Page 6
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• by Mike Gordon Heavy hauliers are up in arms after the Metropolitan Police withdrew its escort service earlier this week without any consultation.
Initially the Police announced that the service would be withdrawn altogether, but within days they promised to offer a restricted service—escorting one load per day.
Operators were given only three days' notice before the restrictions came into force on Monday 4 February. Mark Range, commercial director at Range International Haulage, says: "My concern is for the safety of the public at large.
"It is impossible to see all around a vehicle, and you can't account for the actions of the general public. Drivers are constantly given grief by the public and without the Police no-one will take any notice."
Another operator; John Golding, owner of John Golding Heavy Haulage, has written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens. He says: "We are amazed at this decision. I can envisage an accident occurring very soon, and the drivers face prosecution at every turn. The thing that these people in ivory towers don't know is the threat of not knowing what is behind you when you drive an abnormal load."
Even police employees expressed their shock at the decision. One Insider, who wished to remain anonymous, says: "The transport industry is dead against this move for both safety and commercial reasons. I hope the decision will be overturned."
John Guttridge, the FTA's London and South Eastei regional director, has al: written to the Commission( He slams the Met's "unsympi thetic" approach: "Givi London's street layout it will I impossible for the majority these loads to reach their de: tination without having to col travene a traffic regulation.
"This unsympathetic am roach is unacceptable, partir ularly as it has been linked to threat of prosecution."
The president of the Heal Transport Association, Lot Attlee, raised his concerr during the second reading the Police and Reform Bill in ft House of Lords on Tuesday. !says: "To move a 13ft-wide lox unaided in London is negliger to a gross degree." He also di missed the Police's intention i use civilian Communil Support Officers to escor abnormal loads as dangeroL and unworkable.
Lord Attlee called for ft use of private escorting cor tractors, not working for th police force, but uncle approved ACP° guidelines.