Kinnock pushes 44 tonnes
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by Miles Brignall • Unrestricted use of 44-tonne trucks on six axles across Europe could be legislated for as early as next year, and will be sold on the back of environmental benefits such a move would bring, says EU transport commissioner Neil Kinnock.
Addressing the Association of London Government earlier this week, Kinnock said he believed that larger lorries making fewer journeys was one part of tackling congestion, currently estimated to be costing the UK £30 billion.
Unrestricted use of 44-tonne artics has already been adopted as a part of Kinnock's recently
published Green Paper, which makes a strong argument for the introduction of larger vehicles on environmental grounds.
According to Gert Jan Koopman, one of Kinnock's advisors, the change would be pushed through as part of plans to get road users to pay their way. Road pricing, or tolling, is seen as the way to reduce congestion by tempting road users to seek other forms of transport.
The increase in vehicle weights has already been provisionally adopted as a EU directive and could, given a favourable passage, be in place as soon as this year or 1997, says Koopman.