Crime and punishment
Page 3
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The Transport Select Committee’s message is clear: VOSA needs more power and more investment quickly (see page 6).
It has always seemed illogical and unacceptable that illegal foreign trucks should be on UK roads; if they were illegal after getting off the boat or emerging out of the Eurotunnel, they were clearly illegal when they got on board.
They shouldn’t be able to leave Continental Europe. Restraint of trade? Rubbish! This is about the safety of UK citizens on UK roads: vehicles not safe for UK roads should not be allowed on UK roads. It may be churlish, but the point is that illegal foreign trucks are effectively being aided and abetted by the cross-sea operators... Therefore, the Transport Select Committee is right to call for VOSA to have the same access rights to ports as immigration staff, and that it should have access to ships’ manifests like the HMRC. Data protection? Poppycock! An overloaded truck is simply that – a crime has been committed and the guilty party must be held to account.
We trust the relevant port authorities will see sense on all these matters, and that the government will enact any required legislative changes ASAP.
That just leaves us with the inequity of regulation between Britain and the Continent. British levels of O-licensing and enforcement must be adopted rigorously across the EU, with no quarter asked for, none given.
● This week CM launches its Trucking Britain Out Of Recession initiative (see page 10). Log on to www. roadtransport.com/britain to see how you can get involved.
Justin Stanton
Commercial Motor the official UK journal of the International Truck of the Year and International Van of the Year Awards