To those of you who may be interested, the EU SOCIAL LEGISLATION GROUP are currently holding a 4 month consultation period about the merits of extending EC DRIVER HOURS REGULATIONS. The area that they are specifically looking at is the Ford Transit type group namely those under 3.5 tonnes.In other words a White Van Man. It started on 4/9/16.
The consultation is basically looking at whether to bring this group of vehicles under EC 561/2006 - the Drivers Hours that regulate commercial vehicles above that weight.
Historically, once they have a consultative look at this, action usually follows or else why even look at the thing in the first place. Legislation could also be enacted quite swiftly so that Brexit would potentially not prevent it coming in.
Its a well know fact that "White Van Men" of all nationalities are never tired, never speed, are never in accidents, and are exemplary models of highway, politeness, therefore they should be exempt from any rules about working time. After all how else could they possibly undercut legitimate hauliers? Lets oppose this “Nanny State” idea if making our roads safer!
If they get brought into scope, and that’s a big if, cue a load of exemptions to cover builders etc, leading to a load of white van man types sign writing vans to look like trades people. Personally I don’t think it could ever work, as the fraction of white vans on long haulage is quite small.
Regardless of the merits of the idea at best it sounds unworkable.While I think the Brexit vote was on the basis that we wouldn’t be subject to any EU imposed directives to be applied retrospectively with any EU laws being reviewed starting with a clean sheet in that regard.Anything other than that won’t be Brexit at all but something else.Let alone maintaining any directives imposed after the vote to leave.While all the signs are that May is a typical lying Con who’s saying one thing to appease the Brexit vote while doing the exact opposite in playing for time to keep us shackled to Juncker’s rule.Which ironically also explains the split in UKIP’s ranks which Farage needs to get a grip on.
OVLOV JAY:
If they get brought into scope, and that’s a big if, cue a load of exemptions to cover builders etc, leading to a load of white van man types sign writing vans to look like trades people. Personally I don’t think it could ever work, as the fraction of white vans on long haulage is quite small.
You`re right, it would be very difficult to administer.
Were there similar worries when scaffolders 7.5 tonners were brought in? They seem to be managing now? Or not? I dunno.
Should ALL works vehicles have some sort of tacho fitted? Say 48hrs memory with a wipe clean after said said 48hrs?
Maybe ALL motor vehicles? 48hrs memory, again. Never looked at unless involved in an accident, or speeding, or other offence? Anyone involved in an accident will get a higher sentence if contributed by driving too fast or for too long?? By being monitored maybe we are better drivers, so won`t others also drive better if aware their bad driving can be seen later in event of an accident…
Franglais:
Its a well know fact that "White Van Men" of all nationalities are never tired, never speed, are never in accidents, and are exemplary models of highway, politeness, therefore they should be exempt from any rules about working time. After all how else could they possibly undercut legitimate hauliers? Lets oppose this “Nanny State” idea if making our roads safer!
Why would we need to care less what the EU thinks bearing in mind May’s supposed statement that Brexit means Brexit ?.As for undercutting anyone bearing in mind a minimum daily rest of 9 hours EU regs aren’t exactly a great example to shout about in that regard.
OVLOV JAY:
If they get brought into scope, and that’s a big if, cue a load of exemptions to cover builders etc, leading to a load of white van man types sign writing vans to look like trades people. Personally I don’t think it could ever work, as the fraction of white vans on long haulage is quite small.
You`re right, it would be very difficult to administer.
Were there similar worries when scaffolders 7.5 tonners were brought in? They seem to be managing now? Or not? I dunno.
Should ALL works vehicles have some sort of tacho fitted? Say 48hrs memory with a wipe clean after said said 48hrs?
Maybe ALL motor vehicles? 48hrs memory, again. Never looked at unless involved in an accident, or speeding, or other offence? Anyone involved in an accident will get a higher sentence if contributed by driving too fast or for too long?? By being monitored maybe we are better drivers, so won`t others also drive better if aware their bad driving can be seen later in event of an accident…
I am now retreating behind my sofa…
Which part of we’ve had enough of the EU’s control freak ideology and Brexit means Brexit doesn’t it understand.
Carryfast:
Regardless of the merits of the idea at best it sounds unworkable.While I think the Brexit vote was on the basis that we wouldn’t be subject to any EU imposed directives to be applied retrospectively with any EU laws being reviewed starting with a clean sheet in that regard.Anything other than that won’t be Brexit at all but something else.Let alone maintaining any directives imposed after the vote to leave.While all the signs are that May is a typical lying Con who’s saying one thing to appease the Brexit vote while doing the exact opposite in playing for time to keep us shackled to Juncker’s rule.Which ironically also explains the split in UKIP’s ranks which Farage needs to get a grip on.
OK Carryfast, that’ll do for the politics please, otherwise you’ll end up derailing this topic.
Carryfast:
Regardless of the merits of the idea at best it sounds unworkable.While I think the Brexit vote was on the basis that we wouldn’t be subject to any EU imposed directives to be applied retrospectively with any EU laws being reviewed starting with a clean sheet in that regard.Anything other than that won’t be Brexit at all but something else.Let alone maintaining any directives imposed after the vote to leave.While all the signs are that May is a typical lying Con who’s saying one thing to appease the Brexit vote while doing the exact opposite in playing for time to keep us shackled to Juncker’s rule.Which ironically also explains the split in UKIP’s ranks which Farage needs to get a grip on.
OK Carryfast, that’ll do for the politics please, otherwise you’ll end up derailing this topic.
Carryfast:
Regardless of the merits of the idea at best it sounds unworkable.While I think the Brexit vote was on the basis that we wouldn’t be subject to any EU imposed directives to be applied retrospectively with any EU laws being reviewed starting with a clean sheet in that regard.Anything other than that won’t be Brexit at all but something else.Let alone maintaining any directives imposed after the vote to leave.While all the signs are that May is a typical lying Con who’s saying one thing to appease the Brexit vote while doing the exact opposite in playing for time to keep us shackled to Juncker’s rule.Which ironically also explains the split in UKIP’s ranks which Farage needs to get a grip on.
OK Carryfast, that’ll do for the politics please, otherwise you’ll end up derailing this topic.
As mentioned earlier, this would also need to cover builders and other trades. I know a lot of self employed lads who use their work vans as their personal vehicle too as they don’t have a car. I wonder how they would police this?
Carryfast:
Regardless of the merits of the idea at best it sounds unworkable.While I think the Brexit vote was on the basis that we wouldn’t be subject to any EU imposed directives to be applied retrospectively with any EU laws being reviewed starting with a clean sheet in that regard.Anything other than that won’t be Brexit at all but something else.Let alone maintaining any directives imposed after the vote to leave.While all the signs are that May is a typical lying Con who’s saying one thing to appease the Brexit vote while doing the exact opposite in playing for time to keep us shackled to Juncker’s rule.Which ironically also explains the split in UKIP’s ranks which Farage needs to get a grip on.
OK Carryfast, that’ll do for the politics please, otherwise you’ll end up derailing this topic.
Too late.
Drag it back then. Tachos in Transits??
Absolutely. Why should Dennis or Sergey be allowed to drive non stop to Glasgow and back from Bristol, before setting off straight away to Milan for a one hit delivery?
I think the DVSA threatened that they would be considering bring vans under the same or similar O’licence regulations that larger vehicles have, due to the general state of maintenance and overloading of many of the ones they check.
And having spent 5 years staying in lodgings used by various builders and other trades I’ve heard some of the hours they’ll drive before and after a job.
And then you have this proliferation of 3.5t curtainsiders running round Europe, it’s no wonder that various authorities are looking at regulation of them.
The big question will be how to regulate them, vans in general are used very differently from trucks. we have a van at work and it’s used for a mixture of long distance jobs and quick trips round the corner and during a day it can be used by many people.
If it was brought into the UK, do you think the government would increase the size of the DVSA to cope with the extra work of checking all the operators of these vehicles?
Some sort of recording device, not necessarily a tacho? Exemption for vehicles within say, 30miles of their base? (Builders on local work are out of scope).
Put tachos in Transits and we`ll have some bright spark with a twin axle trailer behind a VW diesel Golf scraping around the edge of the regs, maybe? Anyone with goods needs to prove ownership, or have haulage licence? There is a problem as witnessed by the increasing numbers of Trannie-tilts. (How can haulage in 10 Trannies be more economical than in one truck? if not running bent??). But a can of worms to regulate it.
Lots of vehicles already have recording devices. The computer in my car will tell my start and end times, total journey time, maximum and average speed, distance etc. It’s nothing too complicated for the manufacturers to incorporate into a van.
khdgsa:
Lots of vehicles already have recording devices. The computer in my car will tell my start and end times, total journey time, maximum and average speed, distance etc. It’s nothing too complicated for the manufacturers to incorporate into a van.
Exactly so. Pennies when mass produced.
Car ploughs into pedestrians a on zebra crossing? Why get tape measures out to measure skid marks? Why not a vehicle recorder? Speed recorded, job done.
“I didnt pull across stop line in front of the truck". "I wasnt doing 100mph when I overtook the truck, and then slammed my brakes after overtaking it”. Evidence on board. Proof of truth or lies. No need for routine record keeping, just interrogate is case of accidents.
In 1990 I had tachos in two of my Iveco Daily 3.5 ton box vans because they sometimes were towing a trailer, and got pulled in for a weight check a few times on the north side of the Humber bridge when heading south but was never asked for the charts.
When you’ve got fat fingers AND an iPhone, problems can ensue. 
