hither the chograph?
Page 43
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4NUARY 1975, writing in Ford Magazine, I asked three
5tions:
Jill the tachograph improve le efficiency of transport perations?
ViII tachographs improve Dad safety?
Viii the tachograph improve he standard of hours record eeping?
t that time, the UK was in flict with the EEC over the oduction of Regulation 3/70, which required all -nber states to comply with tachograph Regulations by luary 1, 1976. After icult negotiations the aded day was eventually put :k until January 1, 1982. lver a year has now passed I the time has come to hrase my original questions: Has the tachograph made distribution and transport operations more efficient? Has road safety improved? Are tachographs better kept than the traditional handwritten log book?
itatistics are required from Department of Transport in ler to compare the two 3tems — and a year's perience of checking :hographs, investigating :idents involving trucks and alysing 0-Licence and other rifle offences by the DTp 3pectors, should now be ailable to compare the J with the new.
In 1975, the estimated cost of :hographs was put at some ;5m — today that cost will have creased to over f100m. The insumer is the only person to ke the burden of this cost, and the answer to my three Jestions is yes, then no one ould disagree that the money well invested.
Already within the EEC, iurmurings are being heard gainst the whole of the egulations covering drivers' ours and tachographs. elaxation of the rules for rivers operating within a 50km dius of base is a possibility. It is this constant demand for xemptions, so strongly upported by trade associations on behalf of their members, which gives me cause for concern.
If the case for the tachograph is sound, why should any type of vehicle or type of operation be exempt?
Today, the list of UK transport operations which are exempt makes a mockery of the original Regulation — exemptions will have been written in good faith, but are not being used within the spirit of the law.
Are you exempt?
Exemption from 0-Licence Regulations or road fund licence taxation does not automatically exempt the user of a vehicle from having a tachograph in the vehicle — it is the gross weight, or in the case of passenger vehicles, seating capacity, which will determine whether a tachograph is required.
In the case of goods-carrying vehicles, those vehicles with a maximum permitted weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes are exempt from the tachograph Regulations, but the driver will still be required to comply with all or part of the British domestic Regulations in respect of hours of work and driving. Exemption from the tachograph Regulations is available to: Ambulance, rescue vehicles and specialisedyehicles used for medical purposes.
Vehicles used to transport circus and fun fair equipment.
Specialised breakdown vehicles.
Tractors with a maximum permitted speed not exceeding 30k/ph (20mph). Tractors used exclusively for local agricultural and forestry work.
Vehicles undergoing local road tests for purposes of repair and maintenance (UK Regulations only).
NB: the important words have been highlighted!
Few people would argue that the above exemptions are acceptable, but two other exemptions fall into a different category: Vehicles used for water, gas, electricity services. . . telephone and telegraph services . . carriage of mails or vehicles which are used . . for public services and which are not in competition with professional hauliers .. . and specialised vehicles. . . for door to door selling (this exemption applies only to UK National operations).
It is these two areas of exemption where I can find no justification for the broad interpretation being applied by some operators in the UK.
The exemption covering carriage of mails was no doubt intended for "your friendly postman" driving "his little red van", not for the maximum size articulated outfits travelling up and down the motorways between major sorting centres.
And yet, this so-called juggernaut will be alongside your trucks travelling the same trunk routes. The difference — your truck will have a tachograph, the BPO truck need not. Furthermore, your driver must stop his driving shift after eight hours, but the BPO driver can legally carry on his driving for an extra two hours.
The same situation applies to trucks operated by British Telecom, Gas Boards, Electricity Boards, and Water Authorities.
What "magic ingredient" floats around the cabs of these vehicles to prevent the drivers becoming less tired than the trucker carrying a load of writing paper and envelopes or timber poles?
Many other similar comparisons can be made, all of which make nonsense of the exemptions, but one question needs to be asked: If the tachograph is such a benefit to road safety, and gives better control of the operation, why are tachographs not fitted to the exempt vehicles?
Door to door sales The intention of the door to door exemption was for it to apply to the salesman/driver who brings round fruit and veg, beer and pop, bread and cakes — actually selling, and in many cases taking the money from customers in private houses and the smaller shops.
It was never intended to apply to those vehicles delivering orders, and yet today, conflict exists around the interpretation of the Regulation.
The DTp has advised the Federation of Bakers that their member companies were not breaking the law if no tachograph is fitted, and yet a recent appeal by the police against such a dismissal was referred back to the Magistrates with a direction to convict.
Commenting on the ruling, the Federation stated: "If the decision is not reversed, the cost of complying will have to be recovered by increasing the price of our products." So the tachograph is a cost. Where is the case for a reduction of costs as claimed by the tachograph manufacturers?
Exemptions from any decisions have always caused problems. "Where do you draw the line?" is a well-worn saying. In the case of tachographs, insufficient information is available to confirm whether the instrument does improve road safety or make a transport operation more efficient. The case will be proven when all those vehicles at present exempt queue up to have tachographs fitted.
In the meantime, it is up to our Department of Transport to enter meaningful discussions within the framework of the EEC Regulation in order to ensure that a standard interpretation of the Regulation and approved exemptions is agreed by all Member States.
Following the announcement that the tachograph Regulations were being re-examined by the EEC, the companies which make and service the instruments immediately voiced their disapproval — they say that : "80 per cent of goods transport in the Community would qualify for exemption and that as a result, the economic structure of the tachograph manufacturing and servicing industry would be severely undermined," Such words make me wonder who receives the real benefits of the tachograph Regulations — the users or the manufacturers?
Having re-read the title of this month's article, it could be that my spelling is not so good; would you agree with WITHER the Tachograph?