Mersey Tunnel Measures
Page 62
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Testing "Suspect" Vehicles
QNE in every four of "suspect vehicles using the Mersey tunnel which were examined over a three-week period by a Ministry of Transport vehicle testing unit was in such dangerous condition that it was immediately banned from the road.
This was stated in a Ministry report to the tunnel authorities made public last week. Only vehicles which were "
suspect" were examined and the most common fault was defective brakes.
Of 151 lorries and vans examined, only 25 were free from defects and 39 were in such a state that the drivers were not allowed to take them away.
Delaved prohibition notices were B28 issued in respect of 87 vehicles and these were ordered to be returned to their garages and not allowed on the road again until repairs had been carried out.
The tunnel committee had asked for the spot checks because there were 2,646 breakdowns in the tunnel in the last six months.
Minimum Speed Limits
vim-mum speed limits in the Mersey al tunnel were discussed by the Road Transport Section of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce following the adoption of new by-laws fixing the .minimum limit at 10 m.p.h. in the side lanes and branch tunnels.
It was complained that a driver of
a lorry had been handed a lett by the tunnel traffic manager, out that the vehicle would appc to comply with the by-laws a record of the registration nut been taken. Subsequently the indicated that the implied blac of the vehicle was not, in fact in practice and that the letter deliberately phrased so that draw attention to the new rep
The application of the by-la be governed on a reason common-sense basis, it being a that a heavily loaded vehicle been forced to stop or reduce the steep inclines of the tunnel be able to maintain the minirr limit of 10 m.p,h.
During the first three months tion drivers of vehicles woulc warned and the attention of owners drawn to the regulatioi