ALA slams weight fines
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• Up to 20% of commercial vehicles on London streets are breaking the weight limits, says the Association of London Authorities, which is demanding tougher action against offending hauliers.
"We need to increase the fines, which averaged £232 last year, to bring them in line with the financial advantage of run ning overloaded," says the ALA. "At the moment the commercial benefits easily outweigh any deterrent in the low fines."
The association bases its allegations on random weight check campaigns mounted in four London boroughs between April and June. Of the 193 CVs stopped in Greenwich, 40 were found to be overloaded. One of the cases highlighted by the ALA is a 3.5-tonne van found to be 34% over its gross weight and 64% over its rear axle weight.
The ALA figures could be misrepresentative, says the Freight Transport Association: "Police do not waste time stopping operators which look okay; they know exactly what to look for so the checks are not as random as they may appear," it says. The FTA suspects that many of the overweight vehicles were rented vans used on a oneoff basis by local businesses.
But the ALA is adamant that magistrates need to act now: "Overloaded vehicles are a danger both to road users and to the environment." says Councillor John Austin-Walker. "I urge magistrates to recognise the serious nature of these offences and to impose higher fines as a deterrent."