Department for Transport
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Extra £24m funding to improve safety of trucks on International journeys
Goods vehicles crossing Britain's borders face tougher safety checks as Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick today announced an extra £24m to clampdown on unsafe HGVs on international journeys.
The investment will fund a 50% increase in the number of HGV checks carried out, as well as allow the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to open two new enforcement sites. Enforcement figures show that HGVs from overseas are more like to be unroadworthy, overloaded or being driven in excess of drivers' hours rules than their UK counterparts.
Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"We are determined to clamp down on unsafe trucks. In the last two years alone we have more than doubled enforcement against HGVs on international journeys and this extra £24m will allow VOSA to step up enforcement again. More inspectors undertaking more checks at more sites will make our roads safer for everyone.
"In addition, we are introducing more effective penalty regimes to deter offenders. We are bringing in new measures which will enable VOSA officers and the police to issue fixed penalties to offenders, take on-the-spot penalties from overseas hauliers and immobilise their vehicles if necessary."
The £24.3m three-year package will fund:
* two new enforcement sites in locations with a high volume of high risk HGV traffic;
* a 50% increase in the number of HGV checks carried out;
* a near doubling of prohibitions, where a vehicle or driver is prevented from continuing their journey until the fault has been rectified;
* 97 additional enforcement staff;
* a move to '24/7' enforcement checking at two sites - on the M6 and in North Wales - very shortly;
* the introduction of '24/7' enforcement at other sites over the three year period.
VOSA is also increasingly using a smarter, intelligence-led approach to tackling un-roadworthy foreign vehicles, utilising modern technology - such as weigh-in-motion sensors - to spot overweight vehicles, and also automatic number plate recognition technology to spot those who have a poor track record of compliance.
Notes to Editors
1. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency is an agency of the Department for Transport.
2. Possible locations for the new enforcement sites are currently being investigated by VOSA. They will be up and running as a matter of priority.
3. A DfT report summarising the findings of its Freight Data Feasibility Study was also published today on the Department for Transport's website. It is available at http://www.dft.gov.uk/freight/road/feasibilitystudyfinal.pdf The study looked at options for creating a database of foreign hauliers. As reported in Budget 2008, all of the options identified by the study, including a vignette scheme, offered limited safety, congestion and environmental benefits. As also announced, none of the options, including a vignette scheme, will be progressed at this time.
4. Measures to ensure that hauliers based outside Britain cannot escape punishment, by giving the Police and examiners from (VOSA) will be introduced by Spring 2009. Once implemented, both the police and VOSA will have the power to collect on-the-spot penalties from anyone without a satisfactory UK address.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
