Council falls out with police over bin truck licences
Page 13

If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
A SCOTTISH LOCAL authority is at loggerheads with the police about whether its new recycling vehicles can be driven by staff with standard car licences.
Stirling Council believes that the showpiece £42.000 bin lorries may be driven by anyone with a standard licence, saving it thousands of pounds that would otherwise be spent on HG V drivers. But the police disagree with this view.
Now the dispute looks likely to be settled in court, because police chiefs have decided prosecute one of the council drivers as a test case.
Ian Robertson of Cumbernauld, has been charged with driving his refuse truck without an appropriate licence; the council has been charged with permitting the offence.
No plea has yet been entered, however, after the council asked Stirling Sheriffs Court to continue the case without plea until 13 September.
The council has agreed that until the court case is decided all these vehicles will be driven by drivers with HG V licences.