RHA weighs against DTp
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• The Government's attitude towards HGV overloading has come under fire from the Road Haulage Association, which is stepping up its campaign for 'due diligence' to be accepted as an overloading defence.
A report from the association's weighing task force, which will be presented to Roads and Traffic Minister Robert Atkins on 18 December, slams the Department of Transport's policy as "nil prevention and 95% prosecution". It hammers the DTp's decision to end research into on-board axle weighers.
Many overloading cases are caused by differing fifth-wheel heights between trailers, and by inaccurate documents from consignors of goods, says the RHA taskforce. It calls for a change of law to make consignors liable for in accurate documents which le to overloading prosecutions ; plans to hold talks with the SMMT in a bid to harmonise fifth-wheel heights. 0 Fewer British and foreig commercial vehicles were found to be overloaded last year, even though more veh des were checked.
During the whole of 1988 out 0.05% of all HGV journe were checked for excessive weight. The results of the checks showed that 18.5% British and 24.9% of foreign vehicles were oi weight. But in 1 0.04% of HGVs weighed by Dep ment of Trans! and local trading s dards staff, who fc that 22% of Br and 25% of for trucks were in bri of the weight rule!