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Instant fines for bad foreigners welcomed
Page 7
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UK OPERATORS have welcomed government proposals to hand out on-the-spot fines to foreign operators, but have warned that measures must be considered for those claiming they do not have enough cash to pay.
The proposals follow a CM investigation, which revealed increasing numbers of foreign operators are escaping prosecution because it costs too much to take them to court (CM 8 July).
The ideas contained in Graduated Fixed Penalty and Deposit Scheme and Enforcement of Drivers' Hours Rules are designed to end current inequality for UK operators and reduce the burden on courts. Drivers committing offences, such as overloading or exceeding drivers' hours, will pay a deposit equal to "a fixed-penalty notice" fine.
RHA chief executive Roger King says the avoidance of fines has been a "bone of contention" among members for a long time.
Operators too are happy, but some believe the government should consider what action it would take against foreign drivers who plead poverty or refuse to cough up.
Ivan D'eath, for Norwich firm MG European, says: "We get onthe-spot fines when abroad. In fact. we had a driver who couldn't pay at the time so he was put in prison until we sent the money across."