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Foreigners escape from prosecution
Page 6
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VOSA reveals thousands of UK drivers face court, while drivers from abroad barely make single figures. Chris Tindall reports.
Exclusive!
INCREASING NUMBERS of foreign operators are escaping prosecution in the UK for drivers' hours and tachograph offences because it is too costly to take them to court, according to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
The government agency says just two foreign operators were successfully prosecuted in 2003-04,despite more drivers being stopped than ever.Amazing,ly, this is even fewer than the number prosecuted in 2002-03 —a paltry five.
In comparison, 7.490 operators from all over the UK were convicted for drivers' hours and tachograph offences in 2003-04, down from 9.029 the previous year.
Shadow Minister for Transport, Christopher Chope says the figures reveal an "increase in lawlessness" and he believes the government is turning a blind eye to the problem.
"The equivalent figures for British drivers show our drivers are being prosecuted and foreign drivers are getting away with it.It seems to me we are giving encouragement to foreign drivers to not bother complying with the law," he says.
Chope has already asked questions in the House of Commons on the subject and says he intends to ask another and take the mat ter further: -The Transport Select Committee is concerned about this but it seems the government is showing indifference towards it."
VOSA admits the situation is "unfair" on UK hauliers. A spokeswoman says it is attempting to deal with the problem by reporting foreign drivers to their own country's governing body and sending out prohibition notices. She says between October 2003 and May this year, 2,021 notices were issued. However, she would not comment on whether this figure represents the number of operators that could have been prosecuted.A consultation document on a fixed penalty system involving on-the-spot fines will be published this month, she adds, hut it could be 2006 before it is rolled out.
-We find prohibitions get around it," she says. -It's a very difficult and costly process taking someone to court if you are not going to get the money taken off them.That's why we are introducing the fixed penalty, that's going to be our way of solving it."
A Department for Transport spokesman says he is unaware of the consultation document, but adds: "We are aware of the issue of foreigners leaving the country: we are looking at how best to deal with it."