ULUT 'Go it alone' helium rapped by Market
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ITALY has been given a sharp rap over the knuckles by the European Commission for going it alone on legislation governing the weights and dimensions of commercial vehicles.
The Italian Bill (CM July 23), which will probably take effect later this year, has upset the Euro laws applecart and thrown into doubt the whole future of plans to harmonise Common Market truck operation and manufacture regulations.
And the Commission is not amused. It has pointed out to the Italians that the whol, question of weights am dimensions is still before thi Transport Minister's Council.
The Commission ha warned that Italian law mus not be allowed to prejudici any agreement which migh be reached in the near futun at the Community level.
It also says that the onl■ unit of measurement whicl may be used after the end o 1977 for engine power is thi watt or kilowatt, and Italy ha been told to "amend its lay accordingly".
There was no consultatioi between the EEC and lb, Italian Government before tip changes were announced am the Commission has expresse( its "regret" that Italy has gom it alone, particularly since till new Bill "is not of an extreme ly urgent nature".
The Italian legislation raise axle loads, increases vehicle, trailer lengths and imposes C power/weight requirement o 8bhp/ton gvw.
Axle loads will be raised t( 12 tonnes (formerly 10 tones and to 19 tonnes (14.4 tons) fo a tandem axle with a wheel base of less than 2m. Two-axii rigids can now gross 18 tonne while units with three or mon axles go up to 24 tonnes.
A (four-axle) artic or draw bar trailer combination will 11 permitted at 40 tonnes. Thi. will do away with the need fo much of the complex runnim gear and chassis engineerinl to which Italian operators hal to resort in order to gait maximum payloads.
Antic length has beet increased to 15.5m (50ft 10in).
Overall train length remain. at 18m for drawbar combina tions but the maximum lengtl for rigids with two or mon axles is now 12.5m.
Semi-trailer lengths hay+ also been raised to 6.5m (sin gle-axle unit) and 12.5m fo multi-axle units.
The rear overhang of vehi des (formerly not more that 50 per cent of the wheelbase may now be increased to 60 /31 of the wheelbase — as in I.J1, practice.