Examiners may inspect foreigners'
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tacho discs by CM reporter PASSENGER and goods vehicles from any of the original six member States of the European Economic Community—F rance, Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg—must have their tachographs working when visiting Britain. And, since April 23, DoE examiners have powers to inspect discs instead of log sheets now that the Foreign Passenger and Goods Vehicles (Recording Equip ment) Regulations 1975, SI1485, are in operation.
Previously, examiners were virtually powerless to proceed against the driver of a foreign vehicle who had neglected to provide himself with a logbook and offered the tachograph disc as evidence of hours worked. In such cases, the driver could only be warned that he must have a logbook and told to have one next time he came to this country.
Now, examiners have powers to accept tacho discs in place of logsheets for drivers from the original Six so that offenders against the hours rules can be prosecuted.
Still free from any restraint in this direction, apparently, are drivers from non-Common Market countries such as Spain. Spanish drivers in vehicles which are more often than not fitted with tachos are invariably without logbooks when examined at roadside checks, and seem to disregard repeated warnings about their possession and completion.