1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190 
Germany says 'nein' to LHVs
Page 19
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
There will be no further tests of the motorway giants following concerns over safety and the strength of bridges. Tim de Jong reports.
FOLLOWING A series of trials and extensive discussions, Germany has rejected the introduction of longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs) on its motorways.
Traffic Minister WolfangTiefensee said that he and his colleagues from the federal states had decided against the vehicles, which are 25.25m long and have a maximum GCW of 60 tonnes.
Fear of safety problems as well as concern over the strength of bridges across the country on the Autobahn network were cited as two of the deciding factors.
Four federal states in the western part of Germany voted in favour of LHV combinations— the same states where tests are being held at present. These tests may now be terminated earlier than previously agreed, and the Germans will not allow new tests on their motorways, even with lighter vehicle combinations.
The German government plans to send the results of its investigation to the European Commission, which is investigating the pros and cons of allowing LHVs in the EU.
A similar investigation is going on in the UK; last week lobby organisation Freight on Rail spoke against LHV tests, arguing that such vehicles are not necessary on UK roads. Freight on Rail fears that two thirds of the freight cur rently transported by rail might switch to road transport if LHVs were allowed to run on our roads.
It was also very pleased by the decision taken by Germany, claiming that the UK's roads are even less suited to LHVs than those in Germany.
Freight on Rail campaigner Philippa Edmunds says: "Neither the German nor the British public want these massive vehicles which would mean more lorries, more road congestion, more road accidents and more pollution."
The Fl A and RHA have already rejected such claims, pointing out that Freight on Rail has an ulterior motive as LHVs are seen as a threat to rail freight.