Stoking the fuel of controversy
Page 45
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AS USUAL, in his letter (CM, January 26) about our evidence to the Armitage Inquiry, John Ockenden of the RHA has got his facts wrong.
The last ten years have seen a marked increase in lorry mileage on motorways — up by 185 per cent -and in the proportion of all lorry mileage that is completed on motorways, which is up from 9 to 22 per cent. The lorry mileage in built-up areas has declined by 16 per cent in absolute terms over the same period.
Thus, Mr Ockenden's claim that declining fuel efficiency is a result of increased congestion is patently absurd.
If the advocates of the heavier lorry are correct, both this trend — towards more motorway use — and the trend towards a greater use of the heaviest lorries, which has been concurrent, should have led to an increase in fuel effieicncy.
The fact that fuel efficiency per tonne mile has declined by 8 per cent over the last ten years can only be attributed to two reasons. Either the increased speed of lorries on motorways totally overbalances the advantages of no congestion; or the decreased payload factors that have resulted from the increased use of 32 tormers totally outweigh any fuel advantages from increased motorway running.
In either case, there is little argument for more motorwa or heavier lorries on h. grounds.
NICK LESTER Transport 2000