Road Haulage Association backs cabotage plans

Date: 17/5/2010

Foreign truckers who carry out domestic haulage work in the UK, which they are not legally entitled to do, will be punished by receiving a £200 fixed penalty notice.

Lorry drivers will now be searched by personnel from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) as a matter of routine.

Road Haulage Association (RHA) Chief Executive Geoff Dunning remarked: "This is a welcome shift in VOSA's approach to cabotage which will make a contribution towards fair competition."

He added the Department for Transport's new outlook on cabotage highlights the need for fair competition within the European Union (EU).

The new legislation means companies from another country only have permission to carry out three domestic haulage jobs per week.

Mr Dunning also noted this would benefit British hauliers who face a number of disadvantages including having to fork out for the highest fuel duty in the whole of the EU.

Last week, the RHA called for stricter consequences for heavy goods vehicle drivers who conceal the real number of hours they have spent on the road using magnets.