Setting the pace for Europe?
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WHEN in mid-1976 Italy went quietly ahead on its own and raised gross weights for commercial vehicles (to the consternation of the European Commission which was then — and still is — deliberating on higher weights for EEC member countries), the move was warmly welcomed by the country's transport industry, operators and vehicle builders as a valuable contribution towards higher productivity.
To find out how the new legislation is working out in practice, a recent meeting with two top transport men, who for more than 10 years were among the leading lobbyists for the Italian weight revision, provided an insight into the problems of an industry which, in Italy, is highly fragmented through the dominance of the "padroncini".
Guido Cremonese and Dr Guido Moretti, chief executives of the Milan branch of the S. Cristoforo group of road haulage companies (with over 100 vehicles, a large company by Italian standards) explained how the -padroncini-, the little men or owner-drivers who have always been the backbone of the country's haulage scene, have at the same time, through their highly individual activities and views, weakened the efforts of the industry as a whole for recognition and stronger economic backing.
In the present period of political unrest, little is likely to be done to alleviate the depressed condition of the Italian economy and, while some State support has been given to certain sectors of industry, road transport. responsible for more than 70 per cent of all domestic freight traffic, has not been among the beneficiaries.
Transport operators have, therefore, not been slow to take advantage of the new C&U Regulations to carry higher legal payloads and increase utilisation of their vehicle and trailer equipment.
Overloading
Where overloading had been a way of life for the small independents — Dr Moretti quoted weights which would make even hardened ministry inspectors at UK ports swoon with disbelief — the implementation of stiff new penalties, concurrent with the increase of permissible gvw, has reduced this phenomenon drastically.
Liability for overloading road vehicles can involve the shipper or consigner as well as the car rier, and this has helped to create a wholly new sense of increased responsibility.
There was virtually no adverse public reaction when weights were upped to the new 44 tonnes limit, but then, of course, many of the multi-axle drawbar trailer combinations widely used before the new rules become effective (and, under certain conditions, already operating at 44 tons gcw) were of a more intimidating appearance than the new generation of artics now coming on to the scene.
That a physical change in Italian vehicle equipment is taking place quite rapidly is apparent to anyone who travels a few hundred miles by road.
Although the eight-wheeler had for many years been a most popular tool, the more liberal axle loads (12 t) and gvw rules now accelerate the swing to artics. The two-axle tractor with
a tri-axle semi is expected account for around 80 per CE of all maximum weight ope, tion within the next three to fc years.
In the case of the S. Crisforo group, articulated vehir operation is already almost 1( per cent. Tractive units are E clusively Fiat and OM mode with 690, 691 and 170 typ predominating.
With the new Italian weig rules, accompanied by increas in overall vehicle and trail lengths, came the requireme for the power/weight ratio to ! up to 6kW/tonne, in mark' contrast to German practic which only a little earlier hi reverted to 4.5 kW /tonne.
At the recent Turin comm cial motor show it was evide that the new formula for m; weight operation (the propos( autumn '78 application of ti power/weight rule has no been put back) had caused mo European makers to modi their existing engines to me these requirements.
Italian practice
The S. Cristoforo group, wit operating centres in, amon others, Rome, Naples an Genoa, is this year celebratin the 50th anniversary of its oh est constituent member con pany.
The group is typical of Italia operating practice in the exter to which often quite ingenioL purpose-built equipment is use on contract work. With indus nal giants like Montedison an Finsider among regular users ( S. Cristoforo services, the intr( duction of glucose tankers an more recently, a novel type ( side-tipping bulk grain carrier
built to the group's own dein — illustrate the Italiannchant for bodywork and iler specials which normally wide one of the highlights of a Turin Show.
The concentration of almost per cent of Italians employed manufacturing, mining, conuction and public utilities in e eight regions of the North, lich contain only 46 per cent the total population, highhis one of the problems which ntinue to beset the country's onomy and with it transport.
lotorway network
Combined with the physical ature of Italy — long and narw — this imbalance of the cation of industry and comerce makes efficient comunications essential to the ell-being of the country.
Having probably one of the nest motorway networks in mope and distances which oke vehicle routeing over or[nary toll-free roads cornmerally unsound has meant that le brief phase of hauliers restance to increased autostida charges has now colipsed
Whether the depressed conition of the Italian economy December, 1977 production as down 13 1 per cent over -le same month of 1976, and verall for last year it was only 1.8 per cent up on 1976 — will [low work to begin on the fixed Dad crossing between the lainland and Sicily remains one if the most fervently debated ubjects in Italian transport ircles.
iicilian project
With inadequate ro-ro facilties subject to long delays at )eak times and plagued by Irikes, it has been recognised hat the inability to cope with the rowth of freight and passenger raffic to and from Sicily is laving serious repercussions on vhat has long been one of the leprived areas of the country.
What the bridge builders' :onsortium (inevitably a Fiatassociated company is one of :he members) proposes is a dual firee-lane carriageway taken across the Straits of Messina on a boldly conceived suspension bridge with a clear central span of 3.2km and cable towers 380m high. If work is started in 1980 it is hoped to complete this project in 1985. Forecasts are that over 500,000 cars and 150,000 commercial vehicles will use the bridge in the first year.