Kent County Council is intending to make the current Lorry parking ban which is enforced by wheel clamping and a £185 release fee, a permanent feature for all goods vehicles over 5tonnes. This extends countywide with extremely limited exceptions.
Drivers who have legitimately stopped for a 45minute break, and so are exempt, are being harassed by the clampers. The same has been happening to those whose vehicle has developed mechanical trouble.
KCC is required to consult interested parties to extend the ban permanently although the ban was originally introduced without one. Whatever one thinks of the RHA and Logistics UK they are in the process of fighting the legality of the current action based upon this initial lack of consultation.
This proposal must affect significant numbers of T’Net members. Below is a link to the Public Consultation . As Lorry drivers if you or your company delivers to or collects from Kent then YOU have the right to reply to this, - as does your company, it is not limited to Kent residents. You just submit your name, email address and your comments.
As one can imagine there will be large numbers of responses from Kent residents in favour of the proposal. As those directly affected physically and more than likely financially, we need to have our objections recorded. While there is naturally scepticism about that, with a view that the decision has already been made, the replies actually have to be tabulated into themes of argument and listed as a percentage for each category of comment.
Don’t think this will affect you? as a muckaway driver no, but if this proposal goes ahead what is to stop YOUR council following? it would be a very popular policy politically with the local electorate and raises significant revenue.
There is not a lot that can be said about international journeys but domestic haulage is a totally different matter. KCC’s position is that: “Drivers should plan their journeys to avoid the need to park in Kent. Drivers should arrange or adjust booking times so that they do not need to take a break in Kent. Drivers should book overnight rest parking in advance”.
So please, if you feel that you or your company could be affected, submit your opinion to the consultation. The arguments most likely to hold weight include:
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KCC’s failure over decades to provide adequate off road parking and rest facilities for Lorries and their drivers in multiple locations.
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KCC’s historic and current failure to require industrial development planning conditions to require lorry parking and driver facilities on a scale relevant to the likely number of visiting vehicles to be a condition for approval.
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KCC’s failure over decades to prevent otherwise suitable sites for Lorry parking and facilities being sold off for more financially lucrative housing or industrial development.
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KCC’s failure to understand and take account of the reality of road haulage and specifically that unforeseen delays occur, sometimes for many hours, during deliveries or collections to premises in Kent, which result in drivers running out of Duty time and requiring to park for overnight rest almost immediately.
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KCC’s failure to take due account that the inadequate facilities which do exist rapidly become full up, leaving those whose DUTY time will expire very shortly with no alternative but to park in laybys, even though they may have adequate driving time left.
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KCC’s failure to take fully into account the reality of the drivers’ hours regulations and specifically that the driver card will record contraventions of the regulations. Delays at premises and the subsequent requirement by KCC to drive out of Kent to park because all facilities are full is not a valid defence to such a contravention.
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KCC’s failure to take into account that having reached the adjoining Counties in circumstances which just allow the driver duty or driving time, the situation regarding adequate facilities for parking, toilets and refreshment is no different to that in Kent, and that those adjoining facilities which do exist are equally likely to be full up.
KCC’s reaction to the pre xmas closure of the French border was a failure of its duty of care towards drivers in a situation which was easily predictable and an eventuality for which a competent authority should have been aware, given the decades of experience which KCC has had regarding issues with channel crossing delays. That evidence alone brings into question KCC’s proven ability or right to make decisions which affect drivers’ welfare.
kccconsultations.inconsult.uk/c … DQdf8SoSSQ
Please no comments here about cutting off clamps (illegal), confronting clampers (inciting potential violence and they are mob handed), or refusing to deliver to Kent (pointless unless it is a Company refusing or imposing a punitive premium on rates)
Edit: Mods I did not select an emogie and have been unable to delete it. It does not appear in my original I see the figure eight and a close brackets.
