Weight checks reduced
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By Alan Millar
THE MINERS' strike has reduced the number of weight checks in the West Midland Traffic Area, the latest Licensing Authorities' annual reports reveal.
The reports, which cover the six months before the traffic areas were reorganised in April last year, express the LAs' continued concern about the shortage of available enforcement staff.
West Midland LA Ronald Jackson said that many weight checks had to be cancelled because of police resources being diverted to cope Aeth the miners' strike.
Compared with the same six month period in 1982/83, weight checks in the West Midland area fell from 485 to 175, the number of vehicles checked fell from 9,623 to 3,330, and the number of vehicles overloaded fell from 1,683 to 642.
The number of prohibitions fell from 954 to 349, the number of operators prosecuted fell from 508 to 474, and the number of drivers prosecuted fell from 413 to 379. The only consolation for the Department of Transport is that fines collected rose from £80,815 to £120,880.
As the strike only started at the beginning of March last year, the West Midland experience — which was exaggerated by the closure of three weighbridges is likely to be repeated in many parts of the country when the current year's annual reports are published.
The LAs all anticipate improved detection will follow the commissioning of the DTp's computerised tachograph monitoring equipment as this makes it possible to screen charts in bulk.
But, in his last report, the now deceased Western LA, Jon Crabtree, commented that the introduction of the new equipment would increase the workload of the traffic area's indoor enforcement staff.
In Scotland, LA Hugh McNamara has warned that the introduction of two and six-yearly tachograph checks could stretch further the already questionable resources of the tachograph station.
A warning issued to one station during the six-month period of the report is the third he has had to issue where the standard of work has fallen below an acceptable level.
Overall, the reports show that the number of operators licences held by operators of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes rose by 0.6 of one per cent to 128,428.
The Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities from October 1, 1983 to March 31, 1984 are available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office for £4.85.