Farmer's Fastrac case is adjourned
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• The simmering row over the status of JCB's Fastrac range of high-performance tractors could come to a head on Thursday (4 September) if a Welsh farmer is successfully prosecuted for driving a Fastrac without an Operator's Licence.
Some of the models in JCB's Fastrac range can tow loads of up to 14 tonnes at speeds approaching 45mph. Many hauliers feel that these tractors should he classified as trucks and governed by the 0-licence regulations.
There are also fears that the growing popularity of "super tractors" like the Fastrac among farmers will mean less work for agricultural hauliers.
The case against farmer Gareth Jenkins of Ferndale in Mid-Glamorgan, who uses a Fastrac to haul loads to his landfill site, was adjourned last week pending advice from the Department of Transport. Jenkins has declined to comment until after this week's hearing.
Transport lawyer Jonathan Lawton, who has been advising Jenkins, agrees the case highlights an anomaly, but has told Jenkins to plead not guilty. "I have no doubt that the legislation will be changed but in my opinion he has not broken any existing law," says Lawton.
But the Road Haulage Association says safety should be the top priority. "We would be concerned if there was any suggestion that a loophole in the law was allowing people to operate vehicles of significant size without an 0-licence," says spokesman Dan Hodges.