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Britain's weighting game
Page 20
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• Last week's decision to delay the entry of 40-tonne lorries into Britain until 1999 was a compromise. The European Commission demanded higher weights in 1996: the Department of Transport insisted it needed 15 years to prepare.
Transport Secretary Paul Channon referred to a "roadfriendly lorry", leading many to the conclusion that further concessions on items like air suspension and diesel emissions may be necessary before 40tonne trucks are allowed on to Britain's roads.
Now the 40-tonne debate has been settled, governments are turning their attention to the environment and "green" lorries. This summer the DTp will complete a six-year programme called Q1-1K90 aimed at designing safer and cleaner trucks. This includes under-run bumpers, emission controls and noise abatement.
The search for the environment-friendly lorry has now spread to the EC. A research project has been set up to study vehicle suspension systems.
Air suspension systems and low-friction suspension for single-drive axles may be recommended for all HGVs, as British experts at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory calculate improved dynamic performance could re duce wear and tear on roads and bridges by up to 15%.
Researchers in West Germany, working on a government-funded noise abatement project, have just developed a low noise diesel engine for heavy trucks with a revolutionary combustion system. France's National Road Research Laboratory is investigating the effect lorry axle weights have on roads. The EC is in a hurry. Measures for cleaner and safer lorries throughout Europe should be in place by 1992, and proposals to cut noise pollution are expected to follow.
The last time the maximum weight for lorries allowed on British roads was increased was in 1984, from 32.5 tonnes to 38 tonnes. This move reduced the number of maximum-weight lorries from 61,000 to 51,000. Upping the limit to 40 tonnes will take a further 3,900 vehicles off the road, says the Freight Transport Association.
Meanwhile, British hauliers look certain to lose out to their European counterparts during their 10-year wait. The UK and Ireland are the only countries in the EC to delay 40 tonnes. In the remaining 10 countries, 40 tonnes is the norm.
Channon has stressed that 40 tonnes is the absolute limit, even though some EC countries are rumoured to be lookMg at 44 tonnes.
He opposes any increase in HGV weights and calls his decision on 1999 a "disagreeable necessity".