Oxford Council prosecutes HGV drivers for breaching weight restrictions (22 February 2016)

Oxford Magistrates’ Court has issued fines totalling nearly £2,500 to drivers who breached weight restrictions on local roads.

All five of the prosecutions resulted from public reports to Oxfordshire County Council, whose Trading Standards are investigating a further 50 offences.

The offences were committed at Enstone, where local residents had been conducting a monitoring exercise – as well as one offence at Islip and one at Charlbury, the site of a weak bridge.

The five defendants all pleaded guilty by post.

Marcie J Mieczyslaw Gruba, 35, of Burton-on-Trent admitted driving a 44-tonne load in contravention of the 7.5-tonne limit at Enstone on 16 July 2015 and received a £293 fine, with £130 in costs and a £29 Victim Surcharge – a
total of £452.

Richard Paul Harrison, 35 of Bolton Le Sands in Carnforth also admitted driving a 44-tonne load in contravention of the 7.5-tonne limit at Enstone on 14 July 2015 and received a £390 fine, with £130 in costs and a £39 Victim Surcharge – a total of £559.

Barry Stapleton, 66, of Chipping Norton in Gloucestershire admitted driving a 26-tonne load in contravention of the 7.5-tonne limit at Enstone on 14 July 2015 and received a £293 fine, with £130 in costs and a £29 Victim Surcharge – a total of £452.

Martin Peter Cox, 33, of Sheerness in Kent admitted driving a 44-tonne load in contravention of the 7.5-tonne limit at Islip on 29 June 2015 and received a £250 fine, with £130 in costs and a £25 Victim Surcharge – a total of £405.

James McCue, 51, of Chester Le Street in County Durham admitted driving a 31-tonne load in contravention of the 7.5-tonne limit on a weak bridge in Charlbury on 28 May 2015 and received a £400 fine, with £130 in costs and a £40 Victim Surcharge – a total of £570.

Oxfordshire Council Trading Standards Operations Manager, Jody Kerman, said:

“Weight restrictions are there for very good reasons – either to protect bridges that have become structurally weakened, or because the use of particular roads by heavy goods vehicles is not suitable.

“It may be tempting for drivers to ignore such regulations for a shortcut, but by doing so they are potentially putting other road users, or roads and bridges at risk.

“It is clear from the number of reports from local communities that vehicles breaking weight restrictions are a real concern.

“This type of enforcement supports local communities, as it targets those who ignore the rules and regulations which the vast majority of road users, including local businesses, adhere to.”

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