Private plans by heavy hauliers
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• Fears over the introduction of private sector escorts for abnormal loads have prompted the Heavy Transport Association to publish its own rocommendations for the move.
HTA secretary John Dyne believes that private escorts will eventually be forced on the heavy haulage industry "whether we like it or not".
"If it is going to happen we want to have a say in how such a scheme is set up," he says.
The HTA has not been invited to comment on the privatisation proposals currently under discussion by the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office and the Department of Transport — its members want abnormal load escorting to stay in police hands. "But we recognise the wind of change and wish to be at the forefront of any developments in this new area," Dyne adds.
The HTA's recommendations include police training for excort vehicle drivers. "We don't want cowboys getting involved so escorts must be properly trained," says HTA member Brian Rodwell of Leicester Heavy Haulage.
The HTA also supports the compulsory use of cellphones for communication with police, and specified marking of escort vehicles.