16-01-04 Operation Mermaid 2003 Review
As a new year of operations lie ahead it is a good time to review our Operation Mermaid results from the previous year.
Operation Mermaid is a national targeted check of goods vehicles and is co-ordinated by the Metropolitan Police. The checks are carried out on average at 45 locations throughout the country.
During 2003, five Mermaid checks took place and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) staff examined the vehicles for both mechanical and traffic offences. Vehicle Examiners checked 6,222 vehicles with 651 immediate and 819 delayed prohibitions being issued for mechanical defects.
Traffic Examiners checked 4,636 vehicles for traffic offences which included drivers hours, overloading and hazardous substance infringements. A total of 1,470 prohibitions were issued 651 were immediate and 819 were delayed.
Bob Tatchell, Operations Director for VOSA said:
"These results show how effective we are at targeting the non compliant operator by using information gained through VOSA's intelligence network. "Checks such as this are a key element of our visible work and are critical as part of our effort to improve road safety. We look forward to continuing our work with the police, and other agencies in 2004."
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) was created on 1 April 2003 by merging the Former Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area Network Division of the Department for Transport. VOSA is responsible for:
- Processing applications for licences to operate lorries and buses and registering bus services
- Operating and administering testing schemes for all vehicles, including the supervision of the MOT testing scheme
- Enforcing the law on vehicles to ensure that they comply with legal standards and regulations
- Enforcing drivers' hours and licensing requirements
- Supporting Traffic Commissioners to help them make informed decisions on operator licensing, vocational drivers and bus registration requirements
- Providing training and advice for commercial operators
- Investigating vehicle accident, defects and recalls.
Should you require further information about VOSA, its work or help with stories or programming related to road safety and environmental protection please contact: Jay Fordham or Miranda Roberts, VOSA, 0117 954 3334/3233, e-mail jeanette.fordham@vosa.gov.uk / miranda.roberts@vosa.gov.uk.
Page last updated: 25/09/2006