by Karen Miles • Truck drivers could soon be pulled
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over by volunteer police as resistance increases within the service to put full-timers on multi-agency checks.
The use of Specials— part-time and unpaid police volunteers who are trained and fully uniformed—is expected to be discussed at a meeting next week of the Home Office committee, the Traffic Policy Review Group.
The discussion comes as the Vehicle Inspectorate voices serious worries over its ability to hold the required number of commercial vehicle checks.
The police, which are the only ones allowed by law to pull over traffic, are under Home Office pressure to refocus activity towards crime and disorder. This has put pressure on the resources available for traffic duties.
The pressure has already created problems at Kent police—the force previously considered the hardest on trucks—as funding problems have ended more than 60% of multi-agency roadside checks.
One insider last week said he expected the minimal-cost Specials compromise to be pushed by the Home Office. "There isn't anything else available. It's a straight choice—either police or members of the public."
Although the VI would prefer the law to be changed to allow its staff to stop vehicles, the use of Specials is preferred by the Home Office and police as both want the job kept within police ranks.
L For more details see News Analysis page 10.