Ministry plans well advanced for heavies
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THE Road Safety Bill, currently passing quickly and fairly non-controversially through Parliament, may be the reason why the Transport Ministry will hurry up proposals for higher weight limits for lorries.
The Bill, together with other measures being taken, is expected to create a new climate, both inside and outside the haulage industry, on lorry safety.
When this has been done—and when the new measures are seen to be working—there seems only one major obstacle to raising the maximum permitted weights; the state of the roads.
Current opinion is that the top-class roads linking the main industrial centres and the main ports will, if necessary, be strengthened to take vehicles up to 36,38 and 40 tons. The new heavies would, however, be strictly limited to these routes and a certain amount of transfer shipment might have to take place.
Before these heavier lorries are allowed on the roads, however, public and Parliamentary opinion will first have to be assured that the general safety of heavy traffic is well under control. That could be a reason why the planners at the Ministry of Transport will hold back firm recommendations about an increase for a while, though their plans are well advanced.