IN AN effort to harmoi lorry weights and dimensi in,
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the Common Marl European Commission tr sport experts have drawn t working paper on pract solutions to the problem.
Difficulties in agreeing I form maximum weights dimensions in the Commur have caused the experts propose that the Council Ministers should adopt a m sure "which would allow ( tam n approved types of vehic to circulate freely betwi member states".
The Commission floated t "alternative solution" at end of last year, writes C) European correspondent.
The experts suggest that types of vehicles to approved first should be a culated vehicles and rc trains consisting of a tow vehicle and one trailer.
These vehicles would hay forty-tonne maximum lac weight with five or more axl A Commission spokestr said that countries were ml likely to go along with a 1. axle weight and a high IN load, and that there was rm hope of getting a five a. forty-tonne vehicle accepi rather than a four-axle for tonne vehicle.
The vehicles would be au. orised for transport betwe EEC member states from H. onwards and later for dom. tic transport. Lorries would 18 metres long and articulat vehicles 15.5 metres. . T maximum width for all ye cies would be 2.5 metres a the maximum height fo metres, though exceptio could be made.
The Commission has dec ed on a forty-tonne maxirm total weight because this is t maximum weight to have a chance of being adopted by member states. Existing vel cies not conforming to t approved types would co tinue to be subject to curre regulations in member state; But existing vehicles co -ming with the approved pes would be included. In inciple, no member state )uld have to accept larger hides or higher axle Maximum dimensions were ready very similar in all ember states and no overall creases were proposed.
The Commission claims that e axle weight of five-axle rty-tonne vehicles are simir to those of a four-axle irty-ton-tonne vehicle.
If a future proposal along Le lines of the document was adopted, member states would not be allowed to apply stricter limits to vehicles of approved types from other member states.
Home-registered vehicles of approved types would still be subject to national regulations on matters not covered by community legislation.
The approved types would have to meet the latest community standards in respect of safety, noise and pollution. In the absence of community standards, national regulations would apply to all vehicle characteristics not covered by the proposals.
The document will be discussed by Ministers at the Transport Council meeting next Thursday (December 16). If Ministers approve of this new approach, the Commission will draft a Council Decision based on the document. This would probably then be presented to Transport Ministers when they meet in the first half of next year.
Ministers will also receive a progress report on the draft Third Social Regulation.