WHEN ERMINE MEETS TARMAC
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Does any good ever come out of the House of Lords? If nothing else the recent exchange in "The Other Place" highlighted the farce that is British transport policy. What vexes the noble lords? HGV weight limits and bridge strengthening, that's what. Sadly, their discussion on those Iwo subjects was beset by all manner of muddle, misinformation and mismanagement. The muddle? Thanks to Baroness Hayman we now know that the Government has yet to make up its mind on whether to allow domestic operators to run at 40 tonnes on five axles—when the UK's derogation from that EC limit expires on 31 December 1998—or to adopt 44-tonners on six axles for general haulage, as proposed in the late Government's swan-song consultation document published last year. The misinformation? Step forward Lord Berkeley, (coincidentally chairman of the Rail Freight Group) w1-10 asked the Baroness to agree whether: "When there are 44-tonne lorries on bridges nose-to-tail the extra four tonnes must cause more damage to big bridges." No milord! Bridge designers are more worried by 32-tonne eight-wheelers as they impose a greater loading for a given length. Then Lord Evans of Parkside (to a rousing chorus of "hear, hear!") suggested "banning juggernauts of these huge axle weights from all small towns and villages". Get a life your Lordship. What "huge" axle weights? If we adopt 44-tonners with six axles their axle loadings will be no worse than a 38-tonner's on five and far better than a 40tonner running on five. And final ly, mismanagement. Look no further than the almighty cock-up that passes for the UK's current strengthening "programme" which could result in hundreds of weight bans being slapped on non-trunk road bridges simply to avoid doing any work on them As the industry prepares for Britain's forthcoming presidency of the European Union last week's business in the House of Lords shows just how much work has still to be done in our own backyard.