‘Clamp them, confiscate them, crush them,’ says London haulier
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By Christopher Walton and Roger Brown ONE LONDON-based operator has reacted with anger to CM’s discovery that foreign-based operators owe TfL £6.2m in unpaid ines for breaches of the LEZ.
Saints Transport, which is based outside the LEZ in Colnbrook near Heathrow, refreshed its leet in April with 45 new Euro-5 MAN tractor units.
The investment in the leet, which had been running predominantly Euro-3 and Euro-4 MANs, was prompted by the impending change in LEZ rules.
Saints Transport vice-chairman Piers Carroll insists the indings show “the great disparity between those of us who care and run legally” and those who don’t. He says those who do not run legally create further inancial pressures at a very challenging time.
“The problem surely lies with the deterrent – other than a ine that doesn’t get paid, where is the deterrent? Clamp them, coniscate them, crush them; don’t let them leave the country until they’ve paid. “Perhaps then you’ll be left with those of us who do run correctly and legally.
“Of course, this is just pie in the sky. We will continue to do it right while others won’t, and no doubt even more silly legislation will continue to choke the industry further in due course.” But Road Haulage Association policy director Jack Semple warns that the high number of outstanding ines for breaches of the LEZ by foreign-registered HGVs was not evidence that all were rogue operators.
He explains: “Any international haulier in Europe will know of the likelihood of an LEZ if they are going into a city centre. But in most cases they are very much smaller [on the Continent] than London.” He adds that the statistics do not show the number of incidents where drivers have accidentally entered the zone only to leave swiftly.
“TfL has assured us they are on top of the issue,” he insists.