Penalty warning over van ban on smoking

Reporter: RICHARD HOOTON
Date online: 19 May 2009

COUNCIL chiefs are warning drivers tempted to use commercial vehicles to smoke in that they risk a fine.

Since the smoking ban was introduced in 2007, over 90 per cent of the 160 fixed-penalty notices issued by the council have been to people caught smoking in commercial vehicles.
Under the legislation, drivers are only allowed to smoke in private vehicles but are not allowed to in commercial vehicles or those used for work purposes by more than one person.

Oldham Council is cracking down on anyone lighting up in such a vehicle, who will be slapped with a £50 fixed-penalty fine.

In addition, the vehicles are required by law to display no- smoking signs within them — failure to do this can result in a fine of £200.

Oldham’s public health co-ordinator Richard Pollitt said: “Almost nine out of every 10 people fined for breaking the smoking ban in Oldham are commercial drivers — in fact van and taxi-drivers and those who drive regularly as part of their job are the worst offenders.

“We want to remind anyone who drives for a living, whether it be a white van, a taxi or a goods vehicle, that smoking behind the wheel is against the law and must be stubbed out.

“If you are tempted to light up while using a vehicle for work our advice is don’t do it — it is an offence and enforcement officers will take action against anyone caught smoking in these circumstances.

“We would also urge drivers and businesses to make sure they do have no-smoking signage properly displayed in their vehicles.

“This is particularly important in the case of taxis where the vehicles are used frequently by different customers.”

Councillor Mark Alcock, Cabinet member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “Drivers who light up in their vehicles in these circumstances, or fail to display no-smoking signs, need to be aware that they are breaking the law.

“The council has a zero-tolerance approach to enforcing the new smoking laws and offenders will be prosecuted if caught by our officers.”

For more information on the smoking laws contact the council’s Environmental Health Department on 0161-770 4502.