IT'S H-DAY MINUS 15 . . .
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And here's how Swedes will cope
From a special correspondent.
SEPTEMBER 3 is H-day in Sweden. H stands for "H5ger", the Swedish word for right--the date the traffic changes to the righthand side of the road. Then all road vehicles on the mainland of Europe will be driven on the right.
It has taken the Swedes some 40 years since the change was first proposed to decide to make the transition. In that time the estimated cost has increased 60-fold, and is now expected to be more than £41m. It will be largely met by extra taxes paid by vehicle owners during the four years since the Swedes decided in favour of the changeover.
A strange feature for many years has been almost all vehicles in Sweden having lefthand steering, making overtaking more difficult. But it now means that the vehicles will be immediately suited to the new traffic conditions, apart from the need to adjust the dipping of headlights. Individual owners are expected to meet this expense themselves.
Modifications
About .E500,000 will be spent on moving cranes and levers from the left-hand side of load platforms. About one in every eight of tankers will have to be modified. The bodywork of some special vehicles, dust carts and some delivery vans, will have to be converted.
A contribution of approximately £ lim. has been made to those who during the last two years have had the extra expense of buying vehicles with doors on both sides, instead of one. For example, small vans like the Volkswagen's Kleinbuss have been rebuilt with an extra door.
In general all traffic will cease between lam and 6am on Sunday, September 3. In large cities this time may be extended. Stockholm will have a 27-hour pause. Certain emergency vehicles and public transport will be exempted, and individuals may apply for special dispensation. But even those vehicles must come to a halt for 10 minutes before Sam, when the change-over actually takes place.
When the traffic starts to move again, on the right, there will be strict speed limits: 25 m.p.h. in towns, 37 m.p.h. on main roads and 55 m.p.h. on motorways. These restrictions will be slightly eased after three or four days, and reviewed after about a month.
Many people will be studying this event in Sweden, and not least among them will be representatives of those countries who still have left-hand traffic.