§ Sir Donald ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent results have been obtained from checks for unlicensed trucks; and if he will now consider introducing measures to seize unlicensed operators' trucks. [30732]
§ Mr. NorrisWe have no reliable estimate of the number of vehicles operated illegally. A special series of roadside checks by the vehicle inspectorate in 1993 indicated that up to 9 per cent. of vehicles checked were not on an operator's licence. In a similar exercise in 1994 in the south-east, 7 per cent. of vehicles checked were suspected of being operated illegally outside the operator licensing system. However, these exercises, as is normal for such checks, were targeted on areas where offenders were thought most likely to be and vehicles stopped were also those thought most likely to be offending. These figures cannot, therefore, be taken as representative of the commercial vehicle population as a whole.
In a recent cross-check of goods vehicles involved in accidents recorded by the police, no operator's licence could be traced for 24 per cent. of the vehicles. But this figure also cannot be taken as representative as the total included many vehicles below the limit for operator licensing, and also others exempt from operator licensing for another reason. It may also include vehicles "on the margin", that is, being used legally under the arrangements whereby operators have up to one month to notify licensing authorities of newly acquired vehicles.
We are currently looking at ways to obtain a better indication of the extent of the problem. We are also keeping under review a number of possible new measures against illegal operations, including impounding of vehicles.