Truckeast MD slams EU red tape
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By Kevin Swallow
JOHN BIGGIN (right), the MD of Scania dealership Truckeast, has condemned the number of EU rules and red tape that leave small British businesses struggling to cope. His comments followed the release of the Cut EU Red Tape report by the government's Business Taskforce, which recommended 66 proposals to cut red tape in existing and future EU legislation in most industries to allow businesses to be more profitable.
Recommendations affecting road transport include amending the Driver CPC and whole vehicle type approval (WVTA), and changes to future proposals such as road charging, roadworthiness and the re-registration of vehicles. Biggin said the EU-devised WVTA was affecting Truckeast: "We fit extra axles to trucks and
comply with UK Construction and Use (C&U) regulations. To comply with WVTA, we have to go through a lot of work and cost [about £10,000 per model variant], and have the vehicle tested and approved by Vosa."
He added: "This has resulted in many small businesses folding. A bodybuilder in Wellingborough that had been going for 25 years closed because it couldn't comply with this new law," he said.
WVTA legislation is aimed at EU states with nothing in place, he argued, whereas in the UK C&U rules cover what is required.