'These hi-tech machines benefit greatly from recent developments'
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( ver the years the police have been accused of laying siege to the lorry driver. An abundance of complicated regulations appears to make the lorry driver an easy target. However, I have become concerned about the increasing use of agricultural tractors for hire-and-reward haulage and on this issue I am happy to take the hauliers' side. I know of a local demolition contractor who bought two agricultural tractors which were intended to tow large tipping trailers and allow the operator some of the benefits enjoyed by farmers. These can include excise duty at 235 a year; no
c, plating/testing; no tachograph/ drivers • hours legislation; up to 20 tonnes carrying 2 capacity without an LGV licence; drivers as Z young as 17; and rebated fuel.
R Historically tractors were unattractive for -;! haulage. They were uncomfortable, slow I moving and cold and their use was confined • to fields. Ventures on to the road were few ▪ and restricted to matters of sheer necessity. cT. Today's Farm tractors have undergone a remarkable evolution. These hi-tech machines adhere to health and safety guidelines and benefit greatly from recent motor industry developments. They can now be seen travelling on the public roads while towing large loads at speeds up to 50mph. This just cannot be right: the already fragile existence of some hauliers is surely threatened by the expanding use of such vehicles. Under the umbrella of agriculture some individuals are claiming an unfair advantage over other hauliers.
I have been taking stock of the situation. I read of an Ayrshire haulier's plight andl have heard of many such incidents throughout the UK. My enquiries suggest the practice is growing. Skip firms, highway contractors, even local authorities can be seen taking advantage of the imprecise drafting of the legislation On one occasion I had dealings with a 17-year-old youth who worked more than 70 hours a week for a pittance. He held a provisional car licence and had only been
driving for six months but had passed a tractor test just a few weeks previously. His combination was likely to have weighed in the region of 26 tonnes and his journey was repeated trips between Greater Manchester and Elland in West Yorkshire.
Despite the obvious safety aspect, the issue is that the law is open to interpretation andlbelieve certain regulations are being breached. The moral issues speak For themselves. Legislators must be more careful in the future. Schedule 3 of the Finance Act 1989 abolished the 15-mile limit for concessional taxation of agricultural vehicles and this opened the floodgates. However, after more than two years of banging my head against a brick wall, I can now see a light at the end of the tunnel. These anomalies are being addressed at a higher and more influential level.