Us worried over VI job reductions
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Licensing Authorities have voiced concern for the first time over recent Vehicle Inspectorate staff cuts as VI vehicle checks fall.
by Amanda Bradbury • The number of prosecutions for drivers' hours offences rocketed by more than 50% last year to 4,422. But total vehicle checks by Vehicle Inspectorate staff fell by nearly a fifth and prohibitions of foreign trucks decreased by twothirds.
On publication of these figures this week, all the LAs are praising the VI's increased targeting of drivers' hours offences announced last year.
But two Licensing Authorities have spoken out against a reduction in numbers of VI enforcement staff which has come as a result of cuts in its budget.
Numbers of checks are set to decrease further this year as 70 jobs are cut by the autumn from both arms of the VI's activities: technical staff, including vehicle examiners, and also senior traffic and enforcement managers covering drivers' hours_ Scottish Licensing Authority Michael Betts says: "I view with much concern the continuing reduction in the number of Vehicle and Traffic examiners in Scotland." North Western LA Martin Albu links "changes in the VI" with decreased activity by Vehicle Examiners and Traffic Examiners.
• Six out of eight Traffic Areas saw a massive increase in Operator Licence revocations last year with an average 60% rise: this means 0.6% of all UK 0-licences were taken away from hauliers within the year. The biggest increase was in South Wales with 132% more revocations than in 1992.