EEC specs move blocked by Rodgers
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TRANSPORT minister William Rodgers has effectively blocked a move by the EEC to increase vehicle lengths to 15.5 metres and to impose a height limit.
Speaking at the meeting of EEC transport ministers in Brussels last week, Mr Rodgers said that British public opinion was against the heavy lorry.
He said that they would like to see reductions in the number of such lorries and in the maximum permitted weights and dimensions — and he added that there was little clear distinction in the UK between weights and dimensions.
Mr Rodgers was opposing a draft directive from the EEC Commission designed to-harmonise weights and dimensions regulations first presented to the transport council in 1971 and last discussed in 1975, But council president, German minister Kurt Gscheidle, invited the council to accept the part referring to dimensions only while the council waited for new proposals on weights.
In his speech to the council Mr Rodgers said that it was sensible for the council to try to make some progress on weights and dimensions and he approved the move towards a four-metre-height restriction.
He saw the restriction as a move towards limiting the sizes of containers now commonly used in international transport.
And he used the opportunity to give further encouragement to the council to move freight towards the railways and away from the roads.
Mr Rodgers told the ministers that the UK had accepted the higher noise levels proposed by the community despite the fact that lower levels were due to be imposed by Britain.
He used the acceptance of the noise rules as a bargaining point for blocking any moves towards increasing dimensions.