AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

IRU Hopes Higher Weight and Size Limits Will be Adopted

12th July 1963, Page 50
12th July 1963
Page 50
Page 50, 12th July 1963 — IRU Hopes Higher Weight and Size Limits Will be Adopted
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

H0PES that standardized weight and size limits for vehicles in Europe may be adopted on the lines which the International Road Transport Union put forward in May, 1962, are expressed in a document which is being circulated by the IRU. Pointing out that its proposals are aimed at higher transport productivity and the reduction of costs to the fullest extent that track maintenance and road safety requirements allow, the document shows how current trends in Europe support the 1RU demand for higher weight and size limits. In particular, it is pointed out that all EEC. countries except Germany have now adopted 18 m. as a maximum length for road trains and over the whole of Europe 16 countries have adopted limits at least as high as this. The present situation in respect of six particularly contentious limits is set out by the IRU In a table, as follows:

The trend, says the IRU, is clearly away from the E.C.M.T. figures of 1960 and three countries which accepted them have since adopted higher limits. Even though Benelux officially has a tandemaxle limit of 16 metric tons, Belgium and Luxembourg permit 20 tons, France has authorized 21 tons and vehicles up to such limits are allowed to enter Italy and Holland. On road trains the IRU points out that Italy allows a maximum of 44 tons, while Holland has recently adopted 50 tons gross for articulated vehicles on internal transport.

The IRU document comments on three arguments which have been put forward recently in support of the lower E.C.M.T. limits: that tests by the Association of American Highway Engineers (AASHO) have proved that the increase of the load per axle is very harmful to road surface life; that commercial vehicles do not pay their share of road track costs; and that the requirements of road safety prohibit the adoption of higher figures.

On the AASHO tests, the IRU points out that these were specifically limited to roads laid on particular types of soil, they were very limited in time. the road structure was much thinner than is normal, and surface maintenance was minimal. It is also stressed that if the single-axle limit in France were reduced from 13 to 10 tons the number of vehicles would have to be increased by 27.5 per cent in order to retain the same total load capacity for road transport.

On track costs, the TRU says there is every reason for believing that road transport is now paying more than its share. It points to an IRU study circulated by the E.C.E. in 1960, based on figures obtained in France in 1958, showing what percentage of road expenses caused by each category of road vehicle was covered by specific taxation. In no case was a vehicle category contributing less than 100 per cent of cost, while figures as high as 333 per cent were quoted for a 34-ton goods vehicle, 112 per cent for buses and coaches, and about 130 per cent for, e.g., 18-tonners and 10-tormers. Also, in 1958 France was spending 65.7 per cent of total road taxes on road work but this had fallen steadily, to only about 52 per cent in 1962.

After quoting figures to show how small a percentage of commercial vehicles was involved in personal-injury accidents, the IRU points out that a car travelling at 80 k.p.h. (50 m.p.h.) overtaking an 18 m.-long road train running at 60 k.p.h. (37 m.p.h.) needs only 0-33 sec. more than when overtaking a road train 16.5 m. long.

OXFORD CONFERENCE RELATING transport charges to cost is the theme of a week-end conference to be held at New College, Oxford, from September 20 to 23.

Organized by the Institute of Transport, an introductory address will be given by the president, Mr. E. G. Whitaker, on Friday evening. The two lectures to be given on Saturday are entitled " Freight Traffic ", by Mr. J. H. Bustard (chief shipping and Irish services manager, British Railways, L.M. Region), and "Passenger Traffic ", by Mr. W. M. Dravers (executive, British Electric Traction Co. Ltd.).

The proceedings on Sunday include a discussion on the place of statutory regulations when transport charges are related to cost, by Mr. C. D. Foster, senior research fellow in the economics and organization of transport, University of Oxford.


comments powered by Disqus