Overloading down Put at a price
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• The Department of Transport's campaign against overloading is paying off, according to the latest report from the Licensing Authorities — but some LAs fear it has led to other offences being overlooked.
In 1989/90 just over 9,400 trucks were issued with prohibitions for running overweight out of the 124,000 that were weighed. This represents a reduction of nearly 1% in overloading prohibitions from 1988/89. But the LAs say that hours and records offences are areas ripe for tough action. "We should be chary of overconcentration on weighing," warns Metropolitan LA Ronnie Ashford. "Hours and records prosecutions were up by a third this year. It is an area which needs more attention."
In a bid to catch up with truck operators who have been prosecuted for VED offences Ashford has for the first time benefited from direct access to the DVLA database at Swansea. "This has greatly assisted me in establishing whether operators against whom I am considering action also have VED convictions," he says. As a result, Ashford has been able to cite such convictions when considering financia standing and good repute, "and action was taken against a number of operators".
According to Ashford, a significant number of operators are failing to tax their vehicles properly: "Few can justify a licence in such circumstances," he says.
Many LAs have voiced their frustration over the hours spent this year away from hands-on work in their traffic offices. Work on The Palmer Review of traffic areas (CM 22-28 November 1990) was cited by many as taking up much of their time, compounded by other changes such as in vocational driver licensing.
Nearly every LA complained that public objections to Operator Licence applications on environmental grounds were wasting valuable time, chiefly because the public was not clear on rightful grounds for objections.
The Vehicle Inspectorate came in for criticism, notably from North-East LA Fred Whalley who has called for a review of the VI's performance standards. Delays in getting HGV maintenance reports from the VI means "unacceptably poor maintenance standards have been allowed to continue unchecked until the necessary technical evidence has been produced" allowing a public inquiry to be called, he says. South-East LA Michael Turner has reiterated his frustration over the "lack of a serious threat to the unlicensed operator". He wants to see a "much better system of removing the unlicensed operator from the scene completely". Ashford supports him with a recommendation that unlicensed vehicles be confiscated or impounded.
Co-ordination between the various enforcement agencies is inadequate, says Eastern LA Compton Boyd, who frequently "learns of convictions against my operators from the trade journals", because there is no formal system to ensure the LA is informed of any relevant convictions of an operator.
The computerised licencing system, now operational in most traffic areas, has been a mixed blessing this year, exacerbating a backlog of 0licence applications which was particularly bad in the NorthWest. But the new system is commended for making information quickly accessible, First-time 0-licence applications were up to over 17,000 this year, from 16,000.
Applications for new full HGV driving licences went up by nearly 15% compared with 1988/89. Renewals of provisional and full licences also saw an increase, rising by 7% and 6% respectively.