Paul
18-09-2013, 20:21
The new MOT style testing for caravans has been opposed by the industry and MPs and now the people have spoken too. West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire says her constituents are worried about the introduction of the tests and has been inundated with emails.
The draft legislation which was approved by the European Parliament’s transport and tourism committee has sparked stiff opposition from the Camping and Caravan Club, the Caravan Club and the NCC who all believe that the new test which all caravans weighting over 750kg will have to undergo, will not improve road safety.
Miss Sinclaire, a former UKIP and Independent MEP who now runs the We Demand a Referendum Party, believes that the European Parliament should leave the matter of MOT style testing to those within the UK Parliament.
Speaking to the Kidderminster Shuttle, she said: “I agree with the position of the Caravan Club, and others, that this is, indeed, a flawed proposal. When this matter comes before Parliament, I shall vote against the proposal.
“Road safety is something that concerns us all but this proposed EU legislation is inappropriate and it has other aspects - including the possibility of increased taxation - that make it unacceptable.
“The caravan community needs EU intervention like a fish needs a bicycle. Thus, if changes need to be made, those changes should be taken by our democratically-elected politicians in Westminster, not by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.”
Research undertaken by the industry and the Camping and Caravanning Club found that most accidents involving caravans in the UK were due to factors which would not be included in an MOT-style test, including incorrect car-caravan match, poor weight distribution and overloading.
The Department of Transport found that only one per cent of all accidents involved a towed unit and of those most were over 3,500kg, so it’s probably hardly surprising that the industry is not backing the introduction of the tests. Furthermore according to the Camping and Caravanning Club, the cost to implement the registration scheme would be over £230 million and that would be just to set it up, not including training and creating the infrastructure – a very costly venture indeed, especially if it is proven that the testing would have little benefit to road safety.
Robert Louden MBE, the Club’s Director General, said: “Ultimately that cost would have to be borne by the caravanning public, many of whom are our members.
“We would rather see taxpayers’ money spent on education and training to prevent potential problems.”
In principle many may welcome the scheme, but the concerns about the real difference it will make seem universal. Those in the industry seem in complete agreement that while improvements in road safety are paramount, this is not the way to go about it.
If brought in the legislation would apply from 1 January 2018.
If you’d like to voice your concerns about the ruling, the details for MEPs can be found at europarl.org.uk/en/your_MEPs.html
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The draft legislation which was approved by the European Parliament’s transport and tourism committee has sparked stiff opposition from the Camping and Caravan Club, the Caravan Club and the NCC who all believe that the new test which all caravans weighting over 750kg will have to undergo, will not improve road safety.
Miss Sinclaire, a former UKIP and Independent MEP who now runs the We Demand a Referendum Party, believes that the European Parliament should leave the matter of MOT style testing to those within the UK Parliament.
Speaking to the Kidderminster Shuttle, she said: “I agree with the position of the Caravan Club, and others, that this is, indeed, a flawed proposal. When this matter comes before Parliament, I shall vote against the proposal.
“Road safety is something that concerns us all but this proposed EU legislation is inappropriate and it has other aspects - including the possibility of increased taxation - that make it unacceptable.
“The caravan community needs EU intervention like a fish needs a bicycle. Thus, if changes need to be made, those changes should be taken by our democratically-elected politicians in Westminster, not by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels.”
Research undertaken by the industry and the Camping and Caravanning Club found that most accidents involving caravans in the UK were due to factors which would not be included in an MOT-style test, including incorrect car-caravan match, poor weight distribution and overloading.
The Department of Transport found that only one per cent of all accidents involved a towed unit and of those most were over 3,500kg, so it’s probably hardly surprising that the industry is not backing the introduction of the tests. Furthermore according to the Camping and Caravanning Club, the cost to implement the registration scheme would be over £230 million and that would be just to set it up, not including training and creating the infrastructure – a very costly venture indeed, especially if it is proven that the testing would have little benefit to road safety.
Robert Louden MBE, the Club’s Director General, said: “Ultimately that cost would have to be borne by the caravanning public, many of whom are our members.
“We would rather see taxpayers’ money spent on education and training to prevent potential problems.”
In principle many may welcome the scheme, but the concerns about the real difference it will make seem universal. Those in the industry seem in complete agreement that while improvements in road safety are paramount, this is not the way to go about it.
If brought in the legislation would apply from 1 January 2018.
If you’d like to voice your concerns about the ruling, the details for MEPs can be found at europarl.org.uk/en/your_MEPs.html
</ARTICLE>