More for the road
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
GIVING oral evidence at the Armitage Inquiry this week, the Department ,of Transport forecast that over the next decade, transport of goods by road will increase by up to 30 per cent. The number of maximum weight lorries is also expected to increase drastically if the maximum weight limit remains at 32 tons.
The DTp said that the authorities have to strike a balance between users of heavy vehicles and the objectors. They say that the remedies lie in taxation and grants, strategic regulations, infrastructure, and research.
One of the Department's main areas of concern was the visual intrusion of larger lorries — especially Continental vehicles. Chairman Giles Hopkinson said there is a growing concern that some lorries are Out of scale in our environment, but the DTp did feel that new design shapes (mainly to help fuel consumption) could lessen visual intrusion.
The Department said that, according to a recent survey, people are disturbed by lorries first when driving (noise, spray and so on); secondly as pedestrians; and last when at home (noise and vibration).
On the subject of spray, the DTp said that very few accidents were caused by it and that it would be hard to enforce a bad-weather speedrestriction law to stop lorries throwing up spray.