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Euro-wide aid pla
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or hauliers
• Two major initiatives designed to help the haulage industry in Europe are being planned in preparation for the Single European Market.
European lawyers are joining forces to help hauliers who run into legal difficulties on international operations.
Transport lawyer Stephen Kirkbright of Ford and Warren, says transport lawyers from France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg and Britain will partici
pate in a "loose association provide drivers with legal assistance."
Kirkbright says: "We hay decided to look at this schei in the light of 1992 and the Single European Market — although we hope to have it and running before then."
This would be the first le network to offer specialist transport advice throughout Europe for hauliers. Transg firms such as Pickfords currently have to develop their
overseas legal contacts, Pickfords' marketing and elopment manager Stephen Lon says: "We have legal -esentatives in Europe, but twork such as the one sug:ed would be invaluable to pie who did not transport is to Europe regularly." awyer Jonathon Lawton ; problems are worse for ign drivers entering Bri, who would be eligible to the new scheme. "Police detain foreign drivers overit as they have no fixed le," he says, "even though r are responsible for a ,000 truck and load. This Id not happen to a British er travelling in Europe." twton says that foreign rs are often fined up to or three times more for ices than British drivers. CM columnist Colin Ward foreign drivers sometimes to go to court without I representation.
owever, Ward warns that a )pean network of lawyers t be stronger than a "loose dation" if it is to tackle the ilems met by foreign hauliers. It would need Home Office assistance to give it the power and credibility to prevent foreign hauliers fleeing the country if they faced prosecution, he says.
Steps are already being taken by the transport committee of the French Chamber of Commerce, which has six French and six British members, to draw up proposals guaranteeing hauliers legal representation if they face legal proceedings. The plan also includes an insurance bond.
In a similar move, the AA's truck recovery organisation Octagon plans to broaden its pan-European recovery services to help UK operators abroad. it plans to open a second European office in Germany by the end of next year.
The company is considering running its new offices in conjunction with the RAC and plans to expand its legal and medical services.
The International Road Transport Union and German fuel card company DKV are also co-operating over a panEuropean breakdown service.