VOSA's decision to consider including foreign trucks in its Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) system has been welcomed by the UK's road transport industry. The proposed change is expected to coincide with the new Graduated Fixed Penalties (GFP) legislation, due to come into force in April 2009. Details of how such a scheme would work remain sketchy and a VOSA spokeswoman says it is too early in the process to say how it would apply OCRS to foreign hauliers.
The FTA has previously suggested a similar policy and even mooted banning foreign firms that are frequently found flouting the law from entering the UK on road safety grounds. Joan Williams, head of road freight policy at the FTA, says: "We think it is important VOSA has some sort of system to gather information on the large number of non-UK vehicles on the roads.
"We support any measure that makes VOSA's targeting more effective and efficient." Steve Biddle, head of technical services at the RHA, adds: "We welcome a proposal that includes both UK and overseas trucks. It will take a while to build up a detailed database on compliance levels of non-UK vehicles, but anything is a start."
VOSA is also looking at other modifications to the OCRS system including:
- Inclusion of data from haulier visits by VOSA examiners.
- Inclusion of data from roadside dangerous goods inspections.
- Publication of the points system for the traffic enforcement score.
- An increase in the green band linked to non-mechanical (traffic enforcement) offences.
- Extension of the red band for roadworthiness and non-mechanical offences.
Peter Larner, MD at Essex tanker firm Suckling Transport, says: "Leaving aside the issue of GFPs, I think all the items referred to represent a sensible progression of the OCRS system." The OCRS scheme is used at roadside checks to calculate the likelihood of an operator being non-compliant, with firms scored from 0 to 10 and rated on a 'traffic light' system.