HC Deb 19 June 1967 vol 748 cc187-8W
Mr. Huckfield

asked the Minister of Transport (1) whether she will take steps to introduce numbered daily log-sheets for transport drivers, as at present practised by some continental countries;

(2) whether she is satisfied that her Department has enough staff to enforce a nine-hour driving limit for transport drivers by means of silent roadside checks; and what other methods of enforcement are being considered.

Mrs. Castle

My recently-published proposals for new legislation on drivers' hours include a number of new measures which would help enforcement. The most important of these are that mechanical recorders (tachographs) should be a statutory requirement on all goods vehicles exceeding 30 cwt. unladen weight and on all public service vehicles (except those mainly engaged on stage services), that drivers should have numbered weekly log books for recording their hours of work and that the powers of enforcement staff should be strengthened in various ways. I expect that these measures together with the silent roadside checks and other methods of enforcement at present in use will enable Ministry examiners to enforce the new rules effectively.