§ Mr. AdleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of his Department's366W officials in assisting the Kent police to apprehend 41 coach drivers travelling from France, most of whose vehicles were overladen with excess beer, wines and spirits; if he will bring this behaviour to the attention of the relevant licensing authority; if he will take steps to reduce to 50 mph the speed limit on coaches; and if he will restrict coaches to the inside two lanes of three-lane motorways in order to reduce intimidatory driving.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe check on coaches which took place between the hours of 1800 to midnight on Saturday 3 December was organised by the Department's traffic examiners in conjunction with the Kent police. Traffic examiners weighed all the coaches stopped and directed by the police to the A2 Boughton weighbridge site near Canterbury. Documents including tachograph charts were also checked. The Department's vehicle examiners also attended to carry out safety and mechanical checks on the coaches. Appropriate prosecution action will be taken in the name of the South Eastern Traffic Commissioner against bus operators and drivers who were found to be in contravention of the law.
We have no plans to reduce coach speed limits or to restrict coaches to the two left-hand lanes of three-lane motorways.
Regulations require British coaches to be fitted with road speed limiters. These limiters will physically limit coach speeds to the legal maximum of 70 mph. The fitment programme will be phased over the next few years.
Many millions of motorway miles are already travelled safely by coaches.