A WHIFF OF HYPOCRISY
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Disappointment, dismay, anger. Those are just a few of the emotions that law-abiding hauliers may well experience on hearing reports that the Government is to shelve its plans to impound cowboy operators' vehicles. And they may detect a whiff of hypocrisy in the Government's enforcement policy. Yes, hypocrisy is a strong word, but in this case it's wholly appropriate. After all, it's this Government which made all the running on impounding; both in opposition and, more recently, in Ministerial statements. "Tough on crime— tough on the causes of crime"...don't make us laugh. If the New Labour Government refuses to give the enforcement authorities the one weapon that will permanently deal with the problem of unlicensed operators, then let it suffer the wrath and contempt of the industry for that failure. Faced with its first real challenge on haulage enforcement, it has cut and run. The one remaining hope is that we could get impounding via a Private Members Bill, but that's a long shot at jest. So is this goodbye to impounding? Not quite. The Home Office is now saying that lorries found to contain stowaways at British ports could be impounded if their owners or drivers don't pay the proposed 22,000 fine for each illegal immigrant carried. This "logic" is pure Alice in Wonderland: DON'T impound vehicles belonging to operators who deliberately break the law. DO impound those belonging to operators who in most instances have
no idea they're breaking the law in the first place. The Home Office says it has asked drivers to check loads "and they have not done so. This is why we need a tough new regime to clamp down on irresponsible hauliers." We agree—but inter national operators are NOT the target the Home Office should be aiming impounding at. And to think we hacl such high hopes for tougher traffic enforcement under New Labour ..the process of disillusionment is now well and truly underway.