THUMBS UP BY DRIVERS FOR THIRD-LANE BAN
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THE motorway third-lane ban on heavy goods vehicles appears to be having very little detrimental effect on journey time and appears to be generally respected, according to a TRTA survey of the views of commercial vehicle drivers who regularly use three-lane motorways.
One particular class of vehicle is reluctant to give way in the centre lane according to 61 per cent of the drivers. Private cars are nominated on this score by 74 per cent of the drivers, goods vehicles themselves by U per cent and buses and coaches by the remainder.
Two-thirds of the 120 drivers who completed the Association's questionnaire maintained that motorways are not easier to drive on as a result of the ban. but opinion is divided as to whether they are safer-53 per cent say they are not and 47 per cent say they are.
Few drivers enlarged on their answers with additional comments. One or two say that motorways are now less safe. as apparently it was formerly the practice for traffic to pull into the centre lane to allow vehicles access from slip roads. This is not now possible as there are fast-moving goods vehicles in the centre lane so that when traffic is heavy, vehicles entering the motorway have to edge into traffic on the inside lane.
Only two drivers specifically mentioned "bunching" as a result of the ban. One driver suggested that cars towing caravans should also be prohibited from entering the third lane.
The experimental ban has the support of the TRTA.