France tightens on motorway coaches
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NEW restrictions on coaches using French motorways have been imposed in reaction to France's worst-ever road accident, which involved several cars, a German coach and two French coaches.
The new measures, which are already in force and have been approved by French Transport Minister Charles Fiterman, ban coaches from the outside lane of three-lane motorways, order drivers to keep a clear distance of 50 metres (55 yards) from the vehicle in front and require drivers to inform passengers of the location of emergency exits and fire extinguishers.
The French authorities will also rigidly enforce drivers' hours regulations and the speed limit which is 90km/h(56mph) for coaches on motorways.
A ban on coaches using motorways at night during certain busy weekends is being considered and speed limits are also being given further consideration. Any infringement of the regulations can involve an onthe-spot fine. The new regulations will affect the large number of British coaches involved on shuttle services to the South of France and Spain.
British drivers returning from the South of France have reported that even before the accident their coaches seem to have been singled out for tachograph and waybill checks and that evidence of fairly minor speeding offences recorded several hours earlier have resulted in fines. The usual fine for speeding seems to be 600 Francs.
Reports suggest that waybili irregularities can result in fines, delays of several hours, and even, in some cases, the coach being impounded.