1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
Dip orders salvaged truck checks
Page 6
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Transport minister Peter Bottomley has ordered the Vehicle Inspectorate to carry out top-level checks on rebuilt trucks salvaged from the Herald of Free Enterprise, after Commercial Motor exposed claims that they could be deathtraps (CM 24 February-2 March).
Vehicle inspectors will visit any operator who relicenses vehicles from the ferry — even though these trucks may already have passed their statutory annual HGV tests, says Bottomley, who was sent our article "Safety storm over ferry trucks" by Labour transport spokesman Tony Lloyd.
Lloyd echoed claims by Michelin and the former owner of one of the trucks that tyres and brakes on vehicles salvaged from the wreck could be dangerously worn and corroded by sea water.
Bottomley — who takes a keen interest in road safety matters — has told Lloyd, in a letter dated 16 June, that even though vehicles from the Herald will have had annual tests to detect unrepaired faults caused by sea water, Vehicle Inspectorate staff will visit all operators relicensing lorries from the Herald.
They will "ensure that all other faults have been rectified and check that vehicles being used for purposes that exempt them from HGV testing have also been properly repaired," says the letter. The Vehicle Inspectorate has wide powers to deal with unroadworthy vehicles, Bottomley adds.
In his letter to the Minister, Lloyd had referred to claims by Roger Stringer, the former owner of one of the trucks salvaged from the Herald, that his vehicle must have had corroded linings and thrown aluminium on the brakes. "My lorry was submerged in salt water. It still has the original tyres, and they will be useless. It could still pass its MOT. The defects will not show up until it is freighted up with a trailer and travelling down the motorway at 60mph, when the tyres will explode," said Stringer.
Another warning came from Michelin: "Any tyres recovered from the Herald should be sent to us for examination. This is a free service and they need the manufacturer's level of inspection," said a spokesman.
Lloyd says Bottomley is acting specifically after reading the article in Commercial Motor. In reply to a previous letter, Bottomley said simply that the law required all rebuilt trucks to conform to construction and use regulations. "Now he has told me that vehicle inspectors will visit all the vehicles," says Lloyd.
In his letter to the minister, Lloyd urged him to agree that having "potential deathtraps" on the road was unacceptable. "I would be grateful if you would assure me that, either this cannot be the case, or that you already have the powers to take such vehicles off the road, or indeed, are seeking such powers," says the Labour MP.
According to Lloyd, Bottomley's pledge is satisfying, though he will continue to check the Inspectorate's progress, and whether or not it has a full list of all of the trucks salvaged from the disaster.