IN BRIEF
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• A new HGV testing station opened in Workington, Cumbria on Tuesday 10 May. The 2450,000 station at Lillyhall Industrial Estate replaces the testing station at Tangier Street, Whitehaven.
• There will be another major crackdown against motor tax dodgers during May in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria. Offenders face a maximum fine of five times the annual rate of duty plus back duty and costs.
• The Engineering Industry Training Board is developing a new training scheme designed to produce multi-skilled engineers. The Board also plans to introduce a credit-accumulation system which would allow workers and trainees on the Youth Training Scheme to win recognition for any training they have done, prior to entering engineering training.
• Flash floods following torrential rain last week forced the closure of the M1 for two hours between junctions 1 and 5, and the M4 for nearly an hour.
• A survey of 500 companies commissioned by British Rail and Eurotunnel claims that 57% of companies already exporting to Europe would consider transferring some of their road haulage business to rail once the Channel Tunnel opened.
• An overwhelming 88% of hauliers running at 38 tonnes would use 40-tonne vehides if the limit were raised, according to a new survey carried out by Freight Transport Association.
It was the possibility of 40-tonne drawbars that really got PTA members excited, however 47% of the operators surveyed wanted top-weight drawbars as soon as possible,