'rust can't welcome EC's heavy lorries
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EEC PROPOSAL for restricted lorry dimensions should be pted in principle, but the general concept of heavy lorries Id not, according to the Civic Trust in its submission to the itage Inquiry.
says the EEC proposals on dimensions would have minimal I on British operators, and applauds the "environmental fits" which would arise from restricting height to 8ft 6in, in limiting vehicles' turning circles.
the height restriction it : "This would effectively the introduction of 9ft and an high containers which lot be carried by British , and so would always to travel by road."
it it is less favourably dismi to a weight increase. tereas the dimensions proals require the United gdom, France and Geriy to increase their maxin length of articulated lor by three per cent — not a r significant change — the ;hts proposal requires the and Ireland to allow an ease in gross weight of 37 cent."
adds that Germany and ,.rs would increase the load the drive axle by 10 per L, and France would reduce mitred ordinary axle loads per cent. "The likelihood success in reaching agreeit is therefore much more he Civic Trust goes on to gest that taxes on lorries be ;ed to reflect social and enonmental costs. "This aid have the effect of dis couraging unnecessary road freight."
It wants the Department of Transport to publish its hitherto withheld list of counties' progress with Dykes Act lorry routes. DTp has said it does not want to show that some counties are more active than others, but the Trust disagrees.
Areas, it feels, would benefit from such a list. "Any local authority or indeed any local amenity society wishing to consider a scheme for its own area, would benefit greatly from knowing what has been done elsewhere."
There is scope, in the Trust's opinion, for local authorities to have as much responsibility for freight movements as they do for passenger transport.
The submission says that the environmental effects of lorries are local, so they should be recognised locally. "Often concern is very effectively expressed to councillors, but the pressure is then dissipated because there is no point at which it can then be applied."