No height limit to longer semi trailers is DfT’s preferred option
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By Christopher Walton LONGER SEMI-trailers could be running on UK roads by the summer under Section 44 of the Road Trafic Act 1988, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
A DfT spokeswoman says that, subject to the outcome of its current consultation, it intends to introduce a trial as soon as is “reasonably practicable” – potentially within a few months of the consultation closing.
However, she warns that “changing the existing legislation would take more time” and require parliamentary approval but “we would seek to do this before the end of 2012” .
Furthermore, the DfT says its preferred option is for an increase in trailer length by 2.05m complying with existing height limits, as opposed to a second option, one with a 4.57m height limit.
The spokeswoman says the 4.57m height limit has been included in the consultation to allow the DfT to make comparisons between the performance of longer vehicles at different heights and in different conditions. Longer trailer pioneer Dick Denby, of Denby Transport, says: “We have to applaud the belated recognition by the DfT that road transport needs more space,” adding that it could be a potential stepping stone to a total length of 25.25m that he has campaigned for.