Residents’ tip-offs lead to fines for lorry drivers
Reports from concerned Oxfordshire residents led to a dozen lorry drivers who breached weight restrictions by using weak bridges and unsuitable roads in Oxfordshire being ordered to pay over £4,000 in fines and costs at Oxford Magistrates’ Court at hearings held this month.
Residents handed evidence of the HGV violations of weight restrictions in Newbridge, Shabbington, Launton, Enstone, Little Milton and Chalgrove to Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team who took the cases to court.
Councillor Rodney Rose, the Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, who also has Cabinet responsibility for the Trading Standards Service, said: “This is all about handing the power back to local people to help improve their area. With Oxfordshire residents acting as Trading Standards’ eyes and ears, we hope to drive down the number of people who flout weight restrictions in local villages."
Oxfordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team thanked the people who came forward with the information that helped them to bring successful prosecutions against all the lorry drivers and promised to investigate all reports from the public.
Trading Standards Operations Manager Jody Kerman said: “Resident’s reports are invaluable for our Trading Standards officers who carry out routine inspections around the county. Weight restrictions are put in place for very good reasons and it is clear from the level of local community support that heavy goods vehicles that break these restrictions cause a huge level of disruption and potential dangers. Weight restrictions often allow for deliveries and collections to be made directly within the restriction, but do not allow them to be used as through routes and shortcuts. In these cases, there are always other more suitable routes available.
“HGV drivers are a vital part of our economy and the best outcome for all would be that weight restrictions are not broken in the first place. We would encourage all HGV drivers and logistic managers to give careful consideration to their route planning and follow roadside signage. Sat-navs are commonplace now but to avoid weight restrictions, HGV drivers need to use the ones designed for their professional use which are regularly updated and programmed with accurate vehicle weight and dimensions.”
Dozen drivers found guilty in November
Philip Stephen Evans, 52, of Upton Scudmore, Warminster, drove a 26-tonne HGV over Appleford Bridge (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction) on 10 May 2016. He was ordered to pay £130 in total.
Richard James Stephens, 51, of Purton, Wiltshire, drove a 26-tonne HGV over Newbridge (in contravention of the 18 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 24 April 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Gurwinder Singh Gill, 32, of Uxbridge drove a 32-tonne HGV over Shabbington (in contravention of the 3 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 14 June 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Robin Francis Cow, 59 of Yate, Gloucestershire drove a 44-tonne HGV over Newbridge (in contravention of the 18 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 16 March 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Romualdas Cesnavicius, 58 of Boston, Lincolnshire drove a 44-tonne HGV over Newbridge (in contravention of the 18 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 13 May 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Kamil Zbroszczyk, 28 of Reading drove a 38-tonne HGV over Newbridge (in contravention of the 18 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 26 April 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Kevin John Higgins, 48 of Waddesdon, Aylesbury drove an 18-tonne HGV over Launton (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction) on 13 June 2016. He was ordered to pay £380 in total.
Edward Kucier, 56 of Southampton drove a 44-tonne HGV over Enstone (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction) on 14 July 2016. He was ordered to pay £480 in total.
Cornel Meleaca, 30 of Leicester drove a 44-tonne HGV over Sutton Courtenay (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction) on 14 July 2016. He was ordered to pay £380.
Darron Francis O’Neill, 50 of Duns Tew, Oxfordshire drove a 26-tonne HGV over Enstone (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restriction) on 11 July 2016. He was ordered to pay £480.
Nishan Singh, 26 of Slough drove a 32-tonne HGV over Shabbington (in contravention of the 3 tonne weak bridge restriction) on 14 June 2016. He was ordered to pay £370.
Oldrich Winkler, 61 of Goring Heath, Reading drove a 32-tonne HGV over Little Milton and Chalgrove (in contravention of the 7.5 tonne environmental weight restrictions) on 6 June 2016. He was ordered to pay £480.
How to report breaches
Public reports are best made via the county council’s website, where there is also guidance on what to look out for and the information to get if you witness a suspected breach of a highway weight restriction by a vehicle in Oxfordshire.