Weighty fines for heavy lorries

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Weighty fines for heavy lorries

Stroud Magistrates Court heard this week (Wednesday 23rd November) how overloaded vehicles were still to be found on Gloucestershire Roads.

Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards Service identified a number of overloaded vehicles, during routine weight checks. In the worst case the county has ever known, a truck used by Direct Scaffolding (Bristol) Limited, carrying scaffolding at Moreton Vallence was dangerously loaded at 73% over the permitted design weight for the vehicle. The company was fined �7000 and ordered to pay �125 costs.

In another case, the company Wiltshire Stone was found to be transporting flag stones from Cirencester to Gloucester with an overload of 43% over the maximum permitted design weight. Both the owner and the driver received 3 penalty points on their driving licences, the owner of the business was fined �750 with �150 costs while the driver was fined �400.

A third case involved a lorry carrying soil from a landscaping project. It was stopped at Cirencester and found to be dangerously overloaded at 42% above the maximum permitted weight. Again the owner of the lorry, Phillip Dickenson, and the driver, William Hiscock, were both given 3 points on their licence. In addition Mr Dickensen was fined �900 and ordered to pay �250 costs while Mr Hiscock was fined �450.

In the final case Timothy Woodward of Dursley was found guilty of driving a dangerously overloaded lorry containing soil at Moreton Vallence. He received 3 penalty points on his driving licence, a �150 fine and was ordered to contribute �50 towards costs.

Roger Marles, Head of Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards Service, commented: "It is disappointing that although vehicles are all marked with a maximum permitted weight for travelling along the highway, we are still finding so many overloaded vehicles. In these case the lorries were built with a standard braking and steering system similar to that fitted to a car, therefore such a large overload could potentially make driving the vehicle difficult and under some conditions dangerous. Not only would this lorry have an environmental impact on Gloucestershire roads and buildings but could also place innocent road users and pedestrians at risk. This Service, alongside the county council's Environment Department will continue to monitor traffic on our roads and to prosecute those responsible for over loading their vehicles."


Posted : 25/11/2006 05:17:41

PLEASE NOTE: This story has been archived and the information contained within it may no longer be correct.


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