News


Prosecutedrivers ‘flouting the law’


ILLEGALLY parked lorry drivers will continue to offend unless they are prosecuted, according to Ukip’s Eddie Powell. He made his comments after an operation to target antisocial HGV parking in Kent reached the mile- stone of 5,000 vehicles dealt with in just over 18 months. Cllr Powell, who sits on the bor-


ough council, says there is no deter- rent if there is no enforcement of the rules surrounding illegal truckers’ actions. Kent Police said 5,019 lorries have


been moved on, fined or immo- bilised by officers from Kent Police and Highways England since the joint enforcement operation started in December 2015. Some 4,294HGVsweremoved on because they were parked illegally or inappropriately and 18 others were dealt with for other traffic of- fences.


Tickets issued amounted to 695


drivers, while 12HGVswere immo- bilised after truckers initially refus- ing to pay their fines. Under the operation, officers pa- trol key locations including the A2


near Cobham and Lydden, the M20 and A20 between junction 9 and Dover, and the M2 at Farthing Cor- ner. Cllr Powell said: “Unless there is proper enforcement, there will just be repeat offending. There is no deterrent. “Only by prosecuting offenders


and making them feel the full rigour of the law, will the message get home. Simply moving truck drivers just doesn’t work. “Equally, Kent County Council


has been putting out these bollards on the roadsides to stop overnight illegal parking or stopping, but this just moves lorries on to somewhere else.”


Chief Inspector Peter Steenhuis


from the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said: “There are more lorries on the roads of Kent than ever, and that is having an impact on the wider road network and local communities. “We appreciate HGVdrivers are


under pressure to meet legal re- quirements about rest breaks and driving hours, but it is completely unacceptable to endanger other road users and park on slip roads and the hard shoulder.”


Lions have named President


MAIDSTONE Lions Club has a new president. The club, under Malcolm Luxton (left), handed over £20,000 to charities in the area during the last 12 months and it fell to him to hand over to Derek Ransley (right). Mr Ransley, who worked alongside Malcolm last year as fundraising chairman, is a retired distribution manager and was a previous president at his old club, Southborough Lions. Malcolm – who has served as president of the Maidstone club for four


terms – said: “The club enjoyed a very successful year in terms of fund raising and its social activities last year and I amsure that Derek will carry on the same success in his year as president.” He will swop roles with Mr Ransley as fund raising chairman for 2017-


18. Others may knowMalcolm as a former maths teacher at Cornwallis and Maplesden Noakes in Maidstone and Lib Dem borough councillor for South ward from 1998 to 2006.


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