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Notts Police brings AA in for recovery
Page 6
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• by Mies Brignall Hauliers whose trucks break down in Nottinghamshire could face big bills in the future after its police force announced it will no longer manage its own recovery scheme. Notts Police is the atest force to upset recovery operators by bringing in the AA to manage the recovery of dehicles.
As has happened in other areas the AA (through its conTact recovery arm AADL) has -eplaced the 20 or so recovery operators on the existing conmet with just four large contrac:ors and two smaller ones [CM27 June-3 July].
Those who have lost out are ]articularly incensed because one operator who has been appointed was thrown off the police recovery contract two years ago for malpractice. They also had to pay AADL £291 to have their facilities inspected only to lose out to operators who already work for AADL in other counties.
At a meeting earlier this week, those operators who have lost out agreed to get a solicitor to ask Notts Police to justify the decision.
"The whole thing is a nonsense. I cannot see what benefit the police get from bringing the AA in. Hauliers need to be aware that they still have the right to call in their own contractor as long as the truck isn't a danger to other road users—if they want to avoid some potentially stinging bills they need to do this," says Ashley Sutton-Counter of Nottingham Autocraft, one of the ousted operators.
Stuart Vincent of Notts Police's control morn says the decision was taken to award the contract to free up officers' time.
"We now have to make one call to get vehicles removed rather than five or six. We are disappointed that many of the recovery operators who have served the force well in the past are not a part of the scheme, but that is up to AADL."
He declined to comment on the fact that one of the newly appointed companies had been thrown off the old contract.
A spokesman for AADL says all its operators abide by ACPO guidelines and he cannot say why the unsuccessful operators have not been re-appointed.