Abnormal wait times cut
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• West Midlands police have cut the time heavy hauliers have to wait for abnormal load escorts to an average of 24 minutes, but say they need better co-operation from other forces to cut delays further.
After a three-month trial involving 159 loads, the constabulary's western traffic division has improved upon its initial response time of 45 minutes by re-arranging shifts and increasing the availability of bikes.
Division Commander Mike Dixon says he is working for more improvements by getting better co-ordination between traffic areas. He is meeting senior traffic officers from other forces at the beginning of May.
He says: "I would like our officers to be able to pick up loads at the handover point while they are moving and deliver them to the next handover point while still on the move."
Jon Hugill, chairman of the Heavy Transport Association, welcomes the new response times but claims other forces are falling behind. "Some forces are notoriously bad and waiting up to four hours for an escort can be a normal occurence," he says. Hugill estimates that heavy hauliers are losing, on average, one day a week through delays at a cost of more than £500.