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Not carrots but bigger sticks
Page 9
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Am I the only one to detect this daft dichotomy? Am I the only one who knows what I'm talking about? (Probably, but that's not unusual for me). So what this time? Why, two recent stories on HGV enforcement with very different conclusions.
The second concerns the recent results from Operation Mermaid which revealed that half of all the trucks stopped in roadside checks were found to be running illegally, prompting the Association of Chief Police Officers to accuse hauliers of being complacent over vehicle maintenance and failing to kerb their drivers' bad behaviour.
How do you reconcile those two stories? You can't. And those who say 'targeted' enforcement (in which the police and VOSA only stop those trucks likely to be breaking the law) distorts the figures are missing the point by a million miles.
In fact we should all breathe a sigh of relief that the police DON'T stop every truck. Because the chances are that the real state of the national HGV fleet would cause an even greater shock. You don't think so? Then take a look at the average f irst-time pass rate for trucks and trailers in their annual roadworthiness test. It's embarrassing.
The thought of introducing a system in which 'betterbehaved' operators are subjected to less enforcement terrifies me. Simply because the only thing that keeps most operators on the straight and narrow is the fear of losing their 0-licences. Take away that very real fear (not least through limited selfregulation) and you're asking for trouble with a capital T. Forget carrots; we need bigger sticks. What's needed is the firm smack of enforcement for every single 0-licence holder in the country. Not well-meaning ideas from people with stars in their eyes.