Industry largely left to police itself

“It is amazing that we have not yet had a serious accident involving a dangerous or hazardous goods vehicle as security requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods have become prohibitively expensive,” says Colin Bowring, CEO of Kodiak Shipping. “When it comes to security it is important to distinguish between dangerous goods such as petrol which is mainly stolen for resale purposes, and really dangerous goods such as ammunition and fireworks which carry a much greater risk to life if they accidentally explode. We have such high standards that if we cannot guarantee security then we will not move it,” says Bowring. He notes that it is essential for vehicles to have the necessary equipment such as fire extinguishers and that truck drivers must be properly trained on how to handle any dangerous and hazardous goods. “Occasionally a truck will be stopped at a weighbridge to check on this but law enforcement is mostly relying on the industry to police itself. The fine for driving without a permit is relatively small and is easily passed on to clients. In order to keep the risk to life at a minimum, it is therefore crucial for all companies involved in the industry to be ethical.” In his view law enforcers on the road are not always sufficiently educated and nor do they have enough insight into how to handle hazardous cargo if a truck has broken down. “The police will drive past and not even ask if they can help,” he told FTW.