MOTORWAY ESCORTS
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Police vehicle maintenance and building cleaning are the first of eight support services being driven along the road to market. But they could be overtaken by privatisation of motorway escorting of abnormal loads.
The Home Office is drawing up guidelines for the training of civilian escorts (to NVQ standard), lighting and markings for escort vehicles and—the bone of contention for hauliers—a new pricing structure. "Civilianised" escorts could be at work in six months to a year from now, says ACPO's Graham Glazier. But a short transitional period would be needed.
A trial with constables in unmarked cars showed the principle is sound, says chief inspector Glazier. "Does it need two highly trained policemen with expensive equipment?" No legislation should be needed if private escorting is restricted to motorways and link dual-carriageways, where police powers to control and direct traffic would not be needed. Later it could be extended to A-roads.
The Police Federation says "we wouldn't object to losing that chore," adding that hauliers "should pay the full economic price for the service. They don't and it's enormously expensive".
Road transport trade bodies, who fear that a privatised system will be more expensive, are waiting to see the pricing system proposed. They shouldn't worry, according to Glazier. Heavy loads won't have to sit on the hard shoulder waiting for the hard-pressed police to arrive. "The total cost in man-hours saved by hauliers will be more than the escort costs." Contracts will guarantee that the load catches that boat to the Continent.
Glazier predicts hauliers will train their own escorts, perhaps forming regional consortia. If not, Securicor could step into the breach, or perhaps Group 4.