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Operation Stack 'improving' as understanding spreads

15th March 2007, Page 14
15th March 2007
Page 14
Page 14, 15th March 2007 — Operation Stack 'improving' as understanding spreads
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

[he police believe LGV drivers are coming to accept the need to park

AD when ordered to prevent congestion. Chris Tindall reports.

)PERATION STACK, a police nd Highways Agency (HA) titiative to remove hundreds of ,GVs from the A14 after strong rinds closed Felixstowe Port last reek, has been hailed a success.

The emergency procedure is aid to have been successful thanks part to increasing numbers of rivers who now understand the casoris for the queuing strategy.

Police say the policy of directing .GVs onto a hard shoulder or an .utside lane when bad weather loses ports has proven difficult a implement in the past. But on March the operation, designed C) avoid roads turning into huge car parks, appeared to have worked with traffic still moving on the main route into the port.

Inspector Trevor Sharman of Suffolk Police's roads policing unit says: "I think it's improving because information is getting out to container drivers as to what Operation Stack is about and how important it is to comply with the demands."

Sharman says problems have arisen when drivers have ignored advice to queue and have instead travelled into nearby villages and haulage yards, which causes congestion when the port eventually reopens.

"In my experience it has been difficult in the past," he says. "Some, not all, drivers are failing or refusing to co-operate with Ehe traffic management we have in place. This really leads to problems."

The HA says it is now constructing concrete standings on the A14 for high-tech signs which will provide LGV drivers with information about the port.

• inspector Trevor Sharman says he is unaware or council plans to introduce an overtaking han tor trucks on the A14 (CM 8 March). He asks: "How would you enforce it? [Trucks] need to get into lane two to turn righi info dock gate one."


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