IT'S HERE. BUT
Page 10
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IS IT ENOUGH?
As our front cover says this week, 'It's Here'. By it, we mean the new Scania R-Series, of course, the most eagerly awaited new truck range of the year.
Scania got the 4-Series wrong in a lot of ways when it was launched back in the mid-90s. It's testimony to the strength of the brand that the quality issues, hefty weight, indifferent fuel economy and a less than favourable driver reaction didn't ruin the marque completely in the long-term. The new R-Series you'll soon get used to the name is a darned site better with many of the aforementioned criticisms dealt with. We'll be bringing the full driving impressions next week, but early impressions indicate Scania has dealt the lack of leg room on right hand drive models and taken some more weight out
of the vehicle. All good news, but don't think we've gone soft there are a few weak points which we'll cover next week.
• Those at the European Court of Justice appear to have gone completely bonkers with the ruling that truck drivers can be ordered to pay duty on goods they have absolutely no knowledge of, but are found on the vehicle (see Analysis page 20). Now we know that this industry isn't whiter than white, but if drivers have no knowledge of the existence of the goods and indeed a court is satisfied that is the case, then how in God's name can a driver be liable for the duty?
Why not the captain of the ship which carried the truck across the channel? Will we now see pilot's held responsible for holidaymakers smuggling contraband? Of course not, this is just another cynical attack on the international truck driver. If it wasn't so bloody serious it would be laughable.
What we need instead of these ludicrous rulings is a consignor liability law. One which places the blame firmly with the people who own the goods and consign those goods to a truck. A law dedicated to hunting down and prosecuting the gangs behind smuggling, drugs and people trafficking. A law with a passing resemblance to justice.