Most LGV drivers don't want to see the police in a lorry park - it usually means enforcement, and a possible delay to their journeys. But last week CM joined the Metropolitan Police's Commercial Vehicle Education Unit at Clacket Lane Services on the M25 as it launched a series of informal meetings with drivers which it is calling Stammtisch. Based on a model used by the German police, Stammtisch roughly translates as "regular get-together". The education unit is funded by Transport for London
and aims to improve communication between drivers and the police, reducing the number of drivers who are caught out by the myriad of regulations affecting the road haulage industry. When we meet up with the police on a bright and sunny Wednesday morning, they are still considering how they will set out their stall in future. They have leaflets in English explaining Stammtisch which they hand out around the park, but next time they hope to have the leaflets available in other languages to cater for foreign drivers.
Similarly, this time round they only have tea or coffee on offer from the back of their van, but in future they hope to have some tables and chairs set up so drivers can take some time out while they chat to the officers. The officers we meet at Clacket Lane are John Garvey, Conor McCarrick, Kevin McGlinghey and David Storrar. Garvey says the education unit is a change in direction for the Met Police, which has previously focused on enforcement: "We feel we will get a
better response from drivers using educational techniques rather than beating them over the head with a big stick."
He adds that giving drivers a stern talking-to rather than a ticket can help change their behaviour. But the aim of Stammtisch is not to tell drivers they are doing things wrong. Instead it is to answer their questions and help them stay on the right side of the law. "They don't have to give us their names unless they want to," Garvey says. "We're quite happy to sit down and have a chat with drivers - and if we don't know the answer to their questions we will find out for them." As this is the first outing for the Stammtisch idea, Garvey and his team are spending most of their time spreading the word, but they are taking note of drivers' concerns.
While some drivers we talk to aren't convinced Stammtisch will work due to ingrained suspicion of the police and their motives, others are more optimistic. Philip Dalton, who drives for DHL, says: "It's a brilliant idea. While I work for a big company and they train us, owner-drivers may struggle to keep on top of all the information." Chris Aldred, from Les Knight Transport, spends time telling the police of his issues with a lack of parking spaces for LGVs and the cost of those that are available. He tells CM that having police on hand is a positive step and he plans to spread the word. Education might be at the forefront of the police's new initiative, but the scheme also enables more traditional techniques to employed should the need arise. For example, police are on hand to catch up with an offender who reversed into another lorry and then attempted to drive off following an incident in the truck park. An accident that might normally take several hours for the police to respond to is resolved in minutes.
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