ileeper cab anomaly vorries operators
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'ERATORS throughout the country are becoming concerned put the increase in the number of prosecutions for use of :hnically overlength vehicles fitted with sleeper cabs and 40ft ilers, reports ALAN MILLAR he problem is that it is possible to connect a 40ft Her to most sleeper cab ctive units and still operate :hin the 15m length limit, more and more operators some unwittingly — are ng 15.5m combinations.
loth the Road Haulage sociation and the Freight insport Association have 5ed this anomaly with the partment of Transport, but permanent solution is exted until the Armitage Inry gives its verdict on the ure of lorries and lorry ights and dimensions.
tHA has also raised the ■ blern with Transport MinNorman Fowler, but re is probably very little ich can be done to stop ice authorities from proseing operators who do break astruction and Use Regulas.
HA secretary Eric Russell 1CM that prosecutions first It up in Lancashire and ,kshire, but regional secrees throughout Britain say Lt prosecutions are now amon. Scottish area secretary Tom Brattin has appealed to his members for details of every prosecution brought against them, as he is in touch with the Crown Office in Edinburgh over its use of discretionary powers.
The rule, generally, is that the police report an overlength lorry for prosecution where the excess length has contributed to an accident. But some operators have been prosecuted after an accident, even though excess length was not the cause.
In other parts of Scotland, Mr Brattin says that cases have only been reported where a driver or owner has ignored a polite warning.
For the FTA, Bill Mills agreed that some operators are breaking the law by running at 0.5m over the 15m limit, and said that any operators who do run technically illegal units are taking a chance.
He spoke of cases in which operators have been found guilty of breaking the limit, but have been given an absolute discharge. Until the Government takes a decision on future dimensions, it was to be hoped that courts would take a lenient line.
RHA has also drawn Mr Fowler's attention to a similar problem where axles are overloaded outside an operator's control. It feels that prosecutions should not be pursued where, for example, a piece of machinery is loaded the wrong way round, and excess weight is imposed on the front axle.