TGWU calls for 'consistent enforcement' of rules for haulage firms
Date: 25 July 2007
Teams of inspectors should carry out "consistent enforcement" to ensure that haulage companies adhere to the rules and don't place lives in danger.
That's according to the Transport & General Workers' Union (TGWU), whose national secretary for transport, Ron Webb, was responding to serious truck defects exposed by the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
VOSA carried out a spot check on July 3rd and 4th in Kent, targeting logistics vehicles on international journeys. The group found a lorry with three severely defective tyres, a leaking fuel tank and a missing shock absorber, as well as other transgressions relating to driver hours and roadworthiness.
Spot checks like VOSA's are welcome, Mr Webb said, but they are no substitute for "consistent enforcement by properly resourced teams of inspectors".
He commented: "Tired drivers kill and defective vehicles are like lethal weapons. VOSA have only touched the tip of the iceberg."
The VOSA test was part of the South East International Pilot. More than half the vehicles checked were issued with prohibitions, suggesting widespread rule-breaking in the haulage industry.
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