VOSA to have power to stop vehicles without police help
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stopher. wa I VOSA WILL I lAVE the power to stop vehicles it suspects of overloading. driving hours or cabotage offences without the assistance of the police if a consultation is approved later this year.
The proposals. which will be open to consultation until 13 August. would create specialist stopping officers appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport who do not need to be individually accredited by chief police officers.
VOSA would have the power to stop foreign and domestic vehicles and drivers to carry out compliance inspections throughout the UK including, for the first time. Scotland. where VOSA has not had
the power to stop vehicles before.
The same powers would extend to Driver and Vehicle Agency examiners in Northern Ireland.
Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport, says: "These plans will help VOSA to enforce the rules governing the amount of domestic work hauliers from outside the UK can undertake, helping to make sure that UK operators do not face unfair competition for business.
"The new powers will also free up police time as VOSA will be able to operate more independently."
Currently VOSA inspectors have the power to stop a vehicle only if they suspect there is a breach in compliance. but the proposed
change to the law would see VOSA being able to proactively stop and inspect vehicles without the need for police assistance.
The Department for Transport estimates that the retraining of 16 existing VOSA staff to become stopping officers, as well as the purchase of seven specialist stopping vehicles, would cost 1340,000. Its annual running cost would be £83,300. It estimates a total cost saving to the police of £2.88m.
The Road Haulage Association says it welcomes any attempts by VOSA to improve compliance levels among domestic and foreign operators in the UK.
• To view the consultation, go to: www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/ open/2010-27/