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Sideguard loophole worriesLabourMPs

26th March 1983, Page 5
26th March 1983
Page 5
Page 5, 26th March 1983 — Sideguard loophole worriesLabourMPs
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Keywords : Loophole

k ROW IS BREWING over an apparent loophole in sideguard regulaions which exempts operators from fitting British specification puards if they register their trailers in Europe. ALAN MILLAR sports.

The loophole has come to ght following revelations by Jorfolk Line that it is getting round the sideguard regulaons by registering all of its new 8-tonne trailers in the Nethermds.

Anglo-Dutch Norfolk Line is utting 300 tri-axle trailers on le road in May (see pages 9 and 2) and could have another 600 inning by the end of next year. s operating base is in the Nelerlands, although many of its .ailers run daily in Britain beid British operators' tractive nits and will constitute a signifiNit proportion of the 38-toners on the road after May 1.

Netherlands regulations reuire that sideguards be fitted, ut these are of a less formidWe specification than the ritish guards which must be tted to all vehicles operated at ver 32.5 tonnes gross from May if they are registered in rita in.

There is nothing illegal about hat Norfok Line is doing, and it aims to have written assurance om the Department of Trans)rt that it will not need British deguards on the trailers.

The DT p is unwilling to scuss specific companies' cirimstances, but it confirmed to 1/1 that the amended Construeon and Use Regulations cempt all vehicles imported mporarily by any person resimt abroad. At present, the position on unaccompanied trailers such as those used exclusively by Norfolk Line is not totally clear, and it is conceivable that they could be excluded from the exemption and would then require sideguards.

But Transport Secretary David Howell is considering making an exemption for all unaccompanied trailers, provided they meet the construction and use regulations of the country in which they are based. The Norfolk Line case has prompted Shadow Transport Secretary Albert Booth to press the Government for a statement on the precise position. He told CM he would call for an extension of C&U Regulations to cover foreign-registered vehicles if he is dissatisfied with the Government's answer.

Mr Booth said he had heard whispers that the Regulations did not cover international journeys. He warned that if hauliers could get around the sideguard regulations by registering abroad, they could also get around the new noise and braking standards being imposed.


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