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concerned by last month's decision by the Metropolitan Police to
Page 48
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reduce their service of escorting abnormal loads. Our overriding fear is that safety will be compromised and accidents will be inevitable.
We have specialised in the transportation of heavy plant and construction equipment requiring police escorts, operating from our head office in Tottenham, London and a regional depot in Doncaster, for over 30 years.
At the beginning of the year we received a letter from the Met's assistant superintendent stating that from the beginning of Last month the police would be unable to provide officers to escort abnormal loads smaller than those meeting Department of Transport Special Order requirements. The reason stated was that traffic officers are needed to be available to Borough Command Units.
We understand that the Met must use its resources to satisfy the public outcry over escalating crime statistics. However, we must voice our concern over the decision to take officers from the escorting of abnormal loads.
We are very concerned that our drivers and thus our company are to be wholly responsible for the safety of other road users while trying to negotiate the crowded streets of our capital, Our
of a planned route
drivers, in many cases with vehicles exceeding 25m in length and 4m in width, cannot see anything from the cab, which is behind thE front of their loads. However, they will have to take responsibility for the consequences of other road users' negligent behaviour ar impatience. The Met's correspondence says that while escorts w no longer be provided, assistance at locations where traffic regulations are likely to be breached will be available. While this is welcome we hope that the driver will not be kept waiting at each necessary point along the route.
In many cases this will result in longer routes having to be take to reach the same destination, causing even further delay. The decision considerably adds to our administrative burden in surveying and checking routes very carefully and places a great deal more stress on a driver, who is in sole charge of a 160-tonne vehicle negotiating narrow streets and awkward corners through out London. Inevitably these extra burdens will see our costs rise, We agree that the primary concern of the police is the safety t the public. I have accompanied many escorted loads and can at first hand and without hesitation verify the invaluable help of the police in the negotiation of the planned route and the handling of tl public throughout the movement of these loads. I do not think that haulage contractors providing pilot cars in London is sufficient assistance to our drivers.
Nor do the City of London Police share the Met's view—they continue to provide a full and effective escorting service. The travelling public, in our experience, takes little notice of amber beacons. The public at large does not understand how artics behave (especially ones with rear-steering trailers) and consequently do not position themselves safely.
It is our fear that the decision to stop escorting abnormal loads will directly result in major injury or death. Vehicles that carry abnormal loads are by definition large and, in many cases, very heavy. Accidents involving these vehicles are rarely minor due to the vehicles' size.
We have written to the Prime Minister about this and implore thi Metropolitan Police to reconsider their decision to allow us and oth abnormal load movers logo about our business safely and minimis the risks to the public. If you're involved in this sector, write to your MP and explain the risks to his constituency and, hopefully, someone will listen and see sense.