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P LETTER OF THE WEEK
Page 15
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Actions of some clamping firms are reprehensible'
I READ with interest your letter on dampers operating on private land (`Swan Valley dampers cost me a week's profit', CM 4 June). The actions of these people are nothing short of reprehensible. One of our drivers pulled into Sandbach services on the M6 in order to re-secure a section of the bad on his trailer — clearly this was a safety issue. He is adamant the only place to stop was the coach parking area because the fIG V and abnormal lad parking areas were full. While inside the trailer with the curtain open, the vehicle was clamped with no warnings whatsoever. This was in spite of the fact that the damper looked into the trailer. I spoke to the firm and asked that they release it since we were only rectifying a road safety problem, only to be told that -once the clamp is on. the only way it comes off is when the release fee is paid'? Having paid £255 by credit card, my driver said that the receipt stated the release fee was £150. I tried to retrieve the cash from the dampers, hut was told they could charge what they like.
The threatening attitude of these people is unacceptable. Surely the motorway service operators cannot condone this sort of behaviour. David Ormond Fleet Manager Maxim Logistics Group
Ed's note:A spokesman for RoadChef says that it is not its policy to comment on individual cases, as there is a separate appeals process available for affected drivers to pursue with 1he subcontractor CPS Enforcement (Northern) Ltd itself, and RoadChef would not wish to prejudice the outcome of any such appeal.
He adds that damping is not a profit-making venture for RoadChef, in that RoadChef doesn't receive any revenue from CPS Enforcement, and doesn't make a penny from any of the release fees.