• The Government last week turned down a request for
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compulsory weighbridges to deal with heavy lorries entering the country via car ferry terminals.
Twelve out of the 17 roll-on/roll-off ferries had adequate weighbridges, said Mr Peyton in the Commons.
. For four out of the remaining five his Department provided temporary facilities.
The request had come from Mr Albert Costain (Tory, Folkestone and Hythe), who said that the opening of the new car ferry at Folkestone was causing real concern to the people living in the all-too-inadequate streets there, It was no satisfaction to them to know that lorries had to go through those streets before they could be checked for weight.
Mr Peyton said he was very well aware of the problem, and if he could help Mr Costain in this respect he would certainly look into the matter and do what he could.
Mr Leslie Huckfield (Labour, Nuneaton) asked if Mr Peyton was saying that all our docks and harbours could weigh vehicles of 40 tons -gross, which looked like being the new limit. The Minister must be aware that we did not have a sufficient number of weighbridges for such vehicles throughout the country.
Mr Huckfield recalled that in the debate on the Road Traffic (Foreign Vehicles) Bill it had been said on behalf of the Government that in future most emphasis would be put on weighing these vehicles at the ports.
That was quite right, observed Mr Peyton, and it was a problem that had to be looked at increasingly.