Time warning on hours law
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WATCH OUT for January 1 next year — it could give you a host of headaches, according to Hugh Featherstone, director-general of the Freight Transport Association.
it is a key date for drivers' hours, tachographs and professional competence legislation, he warned the annual meeting of the Association's East Riding division.
The EEC had no power, under current legislation, to grant a further deferment of the drivers's hours laws when the current delay runs out at the end of the year.
Britain had won the delay by saying that it would be stupid to convert to a new system when that system itself, was under review.
"The inference was that Britain would comply only when the new regulations had been agreed. But there has been precious little progress with the result that we are heading towards a dangerous vacuum," Mr Featherstone went on.
"Very late in the day we might find ourselves compelled to comply with the original rules."
January 1 1978 was also the date by which all existing vehicles should have a tachograph. Everybody knew that that was impossible but no one knew what would happen.
Admission to the occupation was full of pitfalls for the unwary and January 1 was again the zero date. Companies needed to be aware of preconceived ideas based on the transport manager's licence and of misconceptions which were being bandied about.