Crackdown on illegals
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• The Government promised this week to consider impounding vehicles in an effort to crackdown on illegal operators.
The promise was made by Roads and Traffic Minister Kenneth Carlisle at the launch of the Commercial Motor starter pack, which is aimed at improving standards in the road transport industry (CM 30 July-5 Aug).
Produced in conjunction with the Road Haulage Association, the pack includes information covering insurance, tacho law, finance and licensing for newcomers to the industry.
Welcoming the CM/RHA initiative, Carlisle said that current enforcement powers should be adequate to deal with illegal operators, but if the industry thinks they are not, people should write to him. "We put a lot of effort into trying to catch the cowboys of this industry," said Carlisle.
A Department of Transport working group is currently investigating the problem of illegal operators. Set up two years ago, it has already produced one internal report and is expected to produce another towards the end of the year.
Stephen Kirkbright of solicitors Ford & Warren asked Carl
isle for measures to impound vehicles that operate without a licence. He said the industry looked to the Government to create an enforcement system in which it is impossible to operate illegally.
"There are imbalances in the transport law," said Kirkbright. "An operator running without a licence on average pays a fine of £150-£200 if he is caught, but if caught operating on red diesel, the vehicle can be seized and capped and only released on payment of a fine of anything between £2,000 to £50,000.
"The Government can preach and say it is interested in improving standards but the industry looks to the Government to even up the imbalance in the law. As long as crooks operate, they do so in direct competition with legal operators," said Kirkbright.
For your CM/RHA starter pack, call our sales department on (0371) 810433.