Spanish police pick on British hauliers
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by Kathy Watson • British hauliers claim they are being unfairly targeted by Spanish police with heavy spot fines.
Fruit and vegetable importer VBA Stevens of Milton Keynes has had to pay £2,000 on fines over the past five months and might end its Llm-a-year trade with Spanish growers. "Not a week goes by without without a fine of some description," says transport manager Mike Hall. "It seems to us the Spanish Police are running loose and wild and are not being controlled by their government."
In one incident last month a driver was stopped near Pamplona after the police opened the tachograph and said a seal was missing. He was fined £700. The tachograph was given a clean bill of health by Volvo as soon as he got back.
Harry Mason, another Milton Keynesbased importer, won an appeal against a £400 spot fine after an incident in Valencia last year. He is now fighting to get his money back. "I believe corruption down in Spain is getting very bad," he says. The police are pulling drivers in for anything. I believe Brits are being hit because we are seen as a nation who will sit back and take this treatment." Several hauliers complain Spanish police have stolen part of their loads when drivers were unable to come up with cash to pay spot fines for disputed offences. Cases of prawns and beer have been taken.
Ralph Davies runs up to 25 trailers a week to Spain and has vehicles stopped every day. Davies believes British drivers are seen as easy pickings by Spanish police.
Some British hauliers are using Spanish companies as guarantors on their load documentation.
Their drivers have successfully used this paperwork to avoid paying spot fines and can also contest the fine after they return to the UK.