A sense of justice
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Lord Attlee's dogged determination to fight for the introduction of impounding legislation, and his latest drive to force a change in consignor liability law, both show him to be a man with a strong sense of justice. It hardly makes sense to prosecute a haulier or his driver for overloading offences if they weren't responsible for loading the offending vehicle in the first place.
And now that the definition of good repute has been changed, two overloading offences could cost an operator his licence. Lord Attlee's suggestion of shared legal responsibility makes a lot more sense, and CM backs him all the way. He's also right about impounding: as we've said before, the best way to stop bent operators flouting the rules is to take them out of the game. Let's hope, at long last, the government takes his suggestions on board.
• Unfortunately, for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Even as Earl Attlee strives to make life easier for hauliers, Steven Norris wants to make it harder. Anything that makes HGVs less visible will doubtless prove popular with motorists, environmentalists and inner-city residents. But Norris's proposal to ban deliveries in central London between o7:3ohrs and 18:3ohrs is muddled thinlcing indeed.
As director-general of the Road Haulage Association, Norris seemed to appreciate the importance of the road transport sector to UK plc and the problems it faced. En route to the mayor's office, he seems to have changed his mind. Sadly, if he's elected, it will be hauliers delivering to London and all those that depend on them who will end up paying the price for this remarkable road-toDamascus conversion.