VI blitz shows up high proportion of defects
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ill More than 20% of the 111 foreign trucks stopped during a five-day blitz by enforcement officers were issued with prohibitions for mechanical defects.
And over 16% of UK-based trucks inspected by vehicle examiners received immediate prohibitions for the same offence during last month's crackdown on roads leading to and from ports serving the Irish Sea.
The checks were a joint operation between the Vehicle Inspectorate, the police and the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment. Traffic examiners issued 30 prohibitions to foreign vehicles for overloading and 17 to UK vehicles.
VI operations director Bob Tatcheli says the high number of prohibitions reflected better targeting of potentially defective vehicles.
"We know that the majority of operators take their vehicle maintenance responsibilities very seriously but there are still operators who flout the law," he warns.
The VI says this type of joint operation is a vital way of improving road safety and environmental protection.