FTA in EC database blast
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christinda1178Cagoogtemait.com THE FREIGHTTransport Association (FTA) says it is mystified by Eurocrats' plans to provide the UK with a database of the worst-offending foreign operators, but excluding any information on vehicle registration numbers With only weeks to go before new cabotage rules are introduced, the FTA says VOSA's ability to enforce UK road transport legislation is being compromised by the "gaping hole" left by the preparations carried out by the European Commission.
A pan-European database containing vital data about cowboy operators was a key concessionary win when cabotage rules were being negotiated last year.
It is expected to be distributed this December.
The Department for Transport (DfT) describes the safety record as "crucialto monitoring and enforcement, and the Transport Select Committee has called for information on the matter.
Without it, the FTA says many foreign operators will remain "incognito" to enforcement agencies such as VOSA.
James Hookham, policy MD at the FTA, says pressure from other member states has meant registration details arc being omitted from the European records. "It's like trying to referee a football match with both teams playing in the same colours and no numbers on their backs How does the referee tell them apart?" he asks.
"It's important to sort out vehicles by their reg numbers. It's the starting point for enforcement action in this country," he states.