RHA moves to block foreign HGVs working on new wind farms

Massive new wind farms in the UK look to have their transport provided by foreign hauliers, due to a disputed loophole in EU law.

The RHA (Road Haulage Association) is calling on the UK government to prevent these contracts being given to Spanish and Danish transport firms who have no licence to operate HGV / LGVs in the UK.

Some of the wind farms’ large component parts will be made in Denmark and Spain, before being sent by sea to ports around the country. When in the UK, they will be transported to the wind farms using foreign vehicles.

To undertake haulage in the UK, a haulier must usually have a UK operating licence or – as in the case of foreign operators – they must operate under cabotage regulations. There is, however, a loophole: The Combined Transport Directive, 106/92.

This was set up in the early 1990s to encourage coastal shipping between countries, rather than go by road. However, the directive was never intended for transport to and from islands, such as the UK, without any roadlinks.

RHA director of policy, Jack Semple, says:

“This is a massive mis-use of the Combined Transport Directive. British transport companies are heavily regulated for road safety purposes. They have the expertise and equipment to do the job. It is scandalous that the wind power sector should be by-passing them to bring in foreign companies that operate without a UK licence.

“We are calling on the Department for Transport’s enforcement agency, VOSA, to block the operation on the grounds that the Combined Transport Directive was not intended for this sort of operation and does not apply”.