Risks Of Non-Compliance
Drivers found to be in breach of drivers’ hours regulations or weight limits must remain on site until they have rested sufficiently or reduced the weight of their vehicle. Operators may also face a fine or, in very serious cases, examiners may impound the vehicle. VOSA examiners can also bring the case before the Traffic Commissioners for public Inquiry. Traffic Commissioners have the power to revoke an operator’s licence or limit the number of vehicles an operator is permitted to run.
VOSA examiners also investigate operators that they suspect of non-compliance and prosecute hundreds of cases a year with fines that, in some cases, reach tens of thousands of pounds plus considerable legal costs. For instance, a Middlesex coach company was fined £137,500 in July 2011 after being found guilty of abusing drivers’ hours regulations. A Nottingham haulage firm was fined £90,662 in April 2011 for 33 offences relating to breaches of drivers’ hours rules and failing to keep records.
In 2011-12, Traffic Commissioners revoked 365 HGV and 57 PSV operator licences with a further 362 licences either suspended or curtailed.
In 2007-08, VOSA conducted 85,559 roadside inspections on heavy goods and public service vehicles, which were examined for weight, overloading and tachograph (drivers’ hours) compliance. Nearly three out of ten vehicles checked that year were issued with prohibitions for non-compliance (28.6 per cent). In May 2010, a Fixed Penalty system was introduced that could result in ‘on-the-spot’ fines in addition to the prohibition.
Facts & Figures
In 2009-10, there were around 91,200 road haulage operators operating 350,256 vehicles. For passenger transport about 9,200 operators operating 190,100 vehicles. So the total number of commercial vehicles circulating on UK roads in 2009-10 was around 540,356.
Collectively, commercial vehicles make up nearly seven per cent of traffic. In 2008 commercial vehicles were involved in 17,415 road traffic accidents (5.6 per cent of all vehicles involved in accidents). Nine per cent of vehicles involved in fatal accidents were heavy goods vehicles.
Funding to the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) for commercial vehicle enforcement in 2008-09 was £36.6 million.
*Sources: VOSA Press Releases 2011; Traffic Commissioners Annual Report 2011-12; VOSA Effectiveness Report 2008/09; and, National Audit Report 2009-10 on Enforcement of Regulations on Commercial Vehicles.
