Priority urged Bedford bid for for 13 new under-3-tons-unladen strategic roads truck market
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• The British Road Federation on Wednesday called for Government priority for 13 new motorways and other strategic roads because of their economic importance to industry. They include links with key ports and a network of improved roads in Scotland and the North and West of England to assist development areas.
In an introduction to the report, Roads and Industry, which was launched at a conference in Glasgow, the chief executive of the British Industry Roads Campaign said that some industrial regions would be separated from the national motorway network for at least another 10 years, on present Government plans. Sir George Middleton added: "British industry cannot hope to be competitive if it is hampered by inadequate transport investment."
Eight of the new roads urged in the report are in Assisted Areas, and a relatively small investment would bring a very high economic and social return. The roads are:— Scotland: new roads from M90 to Aberdeen and Inverness: ,art east-west link with Ayrshire.
Northern England: Manchester-Sheffield motorway, Bolton link, Calder Valley route, the Pudsey link and Dearne valley route.
South West: North Devon link.
Other routes listed as priority needs in the report are:
M20 to the Channel ports and M25 South London Orbital motorway.
A45 — Midlands to the East Anglia ports; M40 and Midlands-Southampton corridor. Telford new town link,
The M25 would connect Ml, M4 and M20, the BRF says, and would ease movement on a large number of heavily trafficked routes. Says the report:—
"One of its greatest benefits will be the elimination of the bottleneck of London for traffic from the Midlands and West heading for Dover or the tunnel.
"This would ease the environmental and congestion problems of London as a bonus to the improvement to the efficiency of the country's industry. By the same token, the completion of the M20 would isolate the villages of Kent from the Continental container traffic which will make up a large part of future commercial haulage." • Announcing a major sales campaign in the under-3tons-unladen truck market sector. Des Savage, Vauxhall Motors' commercial vehicle and fleet sales manager, said this week that "Bedford is the established leader in the light truck market, with around 40 per cent of all UK sales up to 10 tons gross weight. This campaign is timed to take maximum advantage of latest specification improvements and wider Bedford model choice in this class. We aim to get an even bigger slice of the market for vehicles requiring no heavy goods vehicle driving licence".
An addition to the volume-produced truck range (via the Special Vehicle Order system) is a KD variant plated at 7.1 tons gvw (8.5 tons standard). Engineered pri marily to make extra power available at the lower weight level (and lower taxation class), the specification offers 135in. or 151in. wheelbase and 300 cu in. petrol or 330 cu in. diesel engine options.
Eight forward-control TK models are suitable for bodying within the 3-tons-unladen limit. These are:—
KB, 115in. wheelbase, 5.6 tons gvw; KC, 135in. wheelbase, 5.6 tons gvw; KC, 135in. wheelbase, 7.1 tons gvw; KDS, 135in. wheelbase, 7.1 tons gvw; KDL, 151in. wheelbase, 7.1 tons gvw; KDS, 135in. wheelbase, 8.5 tons gvw; KDL, 151in. wheelbase, 8.5 tons gvw; KE, 151in. wheelbase, 10 tons gvw.
This list does not include normal-control T7 models, several of which also suit under3-ton applications.