Traffic commissioners said they have been “astonished” this year by operators’ half-hearted approach to preventing bridge strikes.
In their latest annual report, the TCs said the number of incidents was “unacceptable” and that the issue was being left to drivers to address.
The report said: “Disappointingly, thorough risk-based route planning seems to be a responsibility which operators are leaving to drivers.
“We have seen instances of drivers not being given conversion charts and also being left to plan routes without access to information that would identify the location of low bridges.
“Beyond the road safety issues, there are huge consequential costs in terms of checking and repair, as well as delays to rail travel which impact passengers and commuters,” it added.
“Regulatory action is a real possibility for those operators who fail to take action, as well as for drivers.”
The report also highlighted the continued ignorance over the non-transferable nature of an O-licence when a sole trader forms a limited company and that when a business enters liquidation it cannot transfer the O-licence to another company with the same directors.
The report also said: “Astonishingly, we still encounter licence holders who are running vehicles with digital tachographs but who do not have a company tachograph card or the ability to download drivers’ cards.
“It is difficult to comprehend how any operator or transport manager can expect to run a compliant and effective vehicle operation without access to this data.
“They are totally blind to the use of their vehicles and what their drivers are doing.”
