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Dip swoops again on booze cruisers

8th December 1988
Page 5
Page 5, 8th December 1988 — Dip swoops again on booze cruisers
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• One-in-four coaches checked on their way back from cross-Channel shopping trips last weekend were more than two tonnes overloaded because of the duty-free beer, wine and spirits they were carrying.

In a six-hour operation mounted by senior traffic enforcement officers, Department of Transport vehicle examiners and Customs and Excise officials at Brentley Corner on the A2 near Dover, 41 coaches were stopped at random — 63% were found to have committed at least one offence which required a verbal warning or report.

Just under a third of the coaches were overweight: one was overloaded by passengers alone and another was overloaded with no passengers on board at all. In all, 10 drivers appeared to have committed hours offences and one was suspected of both hours and record offences.

Prohibition orders were placed on 11 of the coaches; they were escorted to the Farthing Corner Service Station on the M2 where hundreds of passengers were stranded until relief vehicles and drivers were arranged by the operators.

The decision whether to prosecute drivers and operators will depend on the record of the individuals or companies concerned — but the DTp stresses that no coach weight limits changes are planned. The current limit is 75kg per seat inclusive of 10kg luggage.

The Bus and Coach Council says: "It is up to operators to know the regulations and weight restrictions and keep within them."

El On the previous weekend, 21 coach drivers were reported for overloading and hours offences in a similar spot check. The DTp warns that further checks on coaches heading north from Dover and Felixstowe can be expected in the run up to Christmas.


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