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Nick Matthews Panther Platform Rentals Luton, Beds Poor regulation of
Page 29
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the clamping industry means it is what most people perceive it to be a licence to print money, believes Matthews.
Yet most hauliers, he reckons, would be more accepting of it if clamping firms were monitored a bit more closely.
'It's indiscriminate. If it's done in a controlled fashion, most people would not have a problem. But it's largely unregulated, and although there is a code of practice for clamping firms, as I understand it, it's voluntary and they do not have to adhere to it.'
Matthews feels there is an urgent need for an independent appeals process, or some way of reviewing clamping policies. At the moment, the only route is to take the matter up with the clamping firms themselves.
"In other words, you're writing to appeal to the very people who put the clamp on in the first place. It's farcical."
As for who pays, Matthews feels it should be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Dedicated and trustworthy drivers who get caught short should not be expected to carry the cost in a real emergency, he says.