Row over escorts lor abnormal loads
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I by Guy Sheppard No Labour Peers have attacked the government ir failing to make long-awaited changes to the ay abnormal loads are escorted on motorways. Lord Hoyle told the House of Lords that the lea of using civilians instead of police was first reposed in 1994: It is an issue which has been aid up for too long. I hope to hear that soon we lell be able to say goodbye to frustration, inconanience and the waste of police officers' time ,hen we finally bring in civilian escorts."
Lord Mason of Barnsley reported that the umber of abnormal loads escorted by police )se from 150,000 to 200,000 between 1996-2000, e called for more night-time movements of loads ) reduce traffic congestion. Opposition transport spokesman Lord Atlee supports this view, pointing out: "We've got operators who have to wait four days for an escort."
But Viscount Simon defended the government, saying the main difficulty with privatising escorts was that civilians had no power to stop or divert traffic. Support for privatised escorts is mixed among operators. John Rawcliffe, of Lancashirebased JB Rawchffe, says: "An awful lot of people take notice of a blue light but not an amber one."
But Dave Collett of R Collett in Halifax, and chairman of the Heavy Transport Association, says: "Up to a certain point, we should be able to use qualified escorts in certified vehicles. You have perfectly good working models in Europe; why can't we take the best parts of thoser