Vosa is better targeting overweight trucks I READ WITH interest
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Jim Dodd's letter (CM 28 March) and I would like to clarify Vosa's position.
There has been little reduction in Vosa's enforcement budgets in recent times, and certainly none that would influence or adversely affect our weighing policy. Whereas Vosa's enforcement weighing used to be undertaken in a more indiscriminate fashion, our roadside targeting strategy has changed the way we approach weighing activities for both UK and non-UK vehicles.
The reduction in weight checks has been a very deliberate en forcement strategy based on redirecting our resources towards other road safety critical issues.
This decision was made in conjunction with the Department for Transport, the National Audit Office and the Public Accounts Committee.
In practice, this means that we will now mainly check and weigh vehicles where information, visual indicators or technology-based systems highlight a risk of overloading. However, we need to be clear that this has been a reduction in weight checks and not a cessation, and applies to UK and non-UK vehicles at ports and inland check sites.
This non-intrusive encounter approach means even more vehicles can be checked without being pulled in at roadside stops.
Peter Hearn Director of scheme management and external relations, Vosa