Ban drink on ioccer coaches
Page 27
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By the Passenger Editor SHOULD BE made an offence uor on a vehicle hired to carry That is one of the Iendments to the law :ommended by the report of e Working Group on iotball Crowd Behaviour, .blished by the Scottish .ucation Department. • 15r-iiik and coaches irgure adominantly in the report rich shows that most fans ivel to away football Aches by public service hides under contract or vate line arrangements.
At present in Scotland, ction 92 (4) of the Licensing -,:otland) Act 1978 restricts a amount of liquor that may carried in a container on a. ntract carriage coach to six As. The law does not, wever, prohibit the carrying alcoholic liquor by ssengers on their person.
The report recommends at it should be made an 'ence for the operator of a v or his employee or agent to rmit the carriage of :oholic liquor or any unken person on a pay. hide bound for a football itch.
Police and Traffic immissioners should liaise in ecking coaches at points of parture and en route to atbali matches to ensure A the laws relating to the rriage of alcoholic liquor are t being infringed, the report ntinues.
The report acknowledges e co-operation of the ottish Traffic Commisiners who wrote to all psv erators in Scotland about' eir concern over the haviour of passengers rried to football matches.
Long distance coach urneys carrying football Is from Scotland came in for me criticism. The report :ommends that two drivers carried on most coaches to able them to leave towns rectly after a match and rive not more than an hour fore a match without risk of to be in possession of alcoholic people to a football match.
drivers infringing driving, hours regulations.
However the report places the onus in controlling drinking and much of the blame for allowing it on coach operators and drivers. The hirer of the contract carriage is usually the only person in a position to ensure that no alcohol is carried by passengers in the party and he should, therefore, have more responsibilities in regard to the law.
The report does not make allowances for the fact that the coach driver is usually in no position to control his passengers while he is driving and is often only one man against 53 potential drunks.