Impounding in 18 months
Page 8
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by Rob Willock • Truck impounding is just 18 months away—and it will be part of a package designed to toughen-up enforcement throughout the transport industry.
South-East and Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Brigadier Michael Turner warned delegates at CDS Employment's Transport Industry Forum last Thursday to expect an "upward turn" in the legislation governing haulage.
Top of the agenda is the impounding of unlicensed vehicles, which will be controlled by the Vehicle Inspectorate (see feature, page 44). The Government has put the matter out for consultation, but Turner believes it is inevitable. "I'd give it 18 months," he says. "I think it's as close as that."
Under the scheme, the operator of an impounded vehicle will have 48 hours to convince the TC that the vehicle is licensed. Failing that, the operator will have just five weeks to apply for a licence. The vehicle may then be sold, with some money going to the Treasury and the rest to the operator.
Turner reassures operators that the VI will not simply impound every vehicle spotted without an 0-licence disc. Instead, examiners will be briefed to target known illegal operators.
But regarding the thorny issue of loads. Turner fails to see a problem. "The operator will have to conic and take it away, or we'll dump it or sell it," he says. "Customs has been doing it for years and doesn't worry about it."
Conference speakers agreed that tougher laws in haulage would make the industry better and raise its prestige. "We've allowed it to become too easy," says Turner.
Plans for tougher enforcement include: • Raising the standards of the CPC. Applicants may soon require at least two years' experience in transport. This could be bad news for small operators' wives whose jobs within the industry is wholly administrative.
• Increasing the qualification of "good repute". Disqualification could be imposed for repeat convictions on offences such as road tax evasion, or for a single serious non-traffic offence carrying more than three months' imprisonment, 60 hours' community service or a Level-5 fine (up to Z5,000).
• Increasing the financial requirements for holding a standard licence. Operators would need to show that they had financial reserves of £7,000 for the first vehicle and £2,000 for each subsequent vehicle over 3.5 tonnes.