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Reaching forty • Deep-rooted political opposition in the House of
4th May 1989, Page 8
4th May 1989
Page 8
Page 8, 4th May 1989
— Reaching forty • Deep-rooted political opposition in the House of
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Commons means that 40tonne trucks are as far away as ever, said Roads and Traffic Minister Peter Bottomley at last week's CM Fleet Management Conference. "How many MPs are prepared to stand up and say that they want 40 tonnes GVW or 11.5 tonne drive axles?" he asked. "The answer is nil."
The transport industry's lobby for an increase in truck weights is barking up the wrong tree, said Bottomley, and he warned that he saw it as his job to "stop this inglorious habit of assuming that more and more weight is acceptable."
Bottornley maintains that the 15-year bridge strengthening programme still stands as a pre-requisite for 40 tonnes. He also did not rule out truck speed limiters.
See our FMC report on pages 54 and 55.