Villages target lorries
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by Rob Willock • Hauliers are in the firing line again—this time from rural villagers incited by the Council for the Protection of Rural England which wants lorries off country lanes.
Lessening the Load is a CPRE guide telling villagers how to win traffic regulation orders "to stop over-sized lorries using unsuitable country roads". The CPRE is telling villagers who want rid of lorries simply to calculate an average daily traffic rate then write to local councillors to complain.
But critics say its recommended counting methods wildly overstate traffic by "capturing a peak period of lorry traffic" as the basis of the calculation, which is supposed to simulate a full 16-hour day. Other CPRE recommendations include using "before and after" photographs to show damage caused by lorries.
CPRE head of transport Lilli Matson says: "People often feel powerless to stop the damage lorries are doing to the countryside, but there are simple measures they can take now to help reduce the problem."
But the Freight Transport Association warns that villagers will go without essential goods and services if they divert lorries. "The rural economy is dependent on the existence of lorries," it says. Only 16% of freight traffic is on minor roads. And this is serving local needs, not taking short cuts, adds the ETA.