Heavier weights: operators to set out their case
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• The Department of Transport has asked operators for a detailed case in favour of increased weight limits for rigid vehicles and for drive axles on some articulated vehicles, reports Commercial Motor, May 24. Junior Transport Minister Peter Bottomley wants the Road Haulage Association, which has enlisted the support of the Freight Transport Association, to specify: • What operating cost savings might flow from an increase; • What operations would benefit from it; • And what reductions in vehicles would follow.
The suggestions are that the maximum weight for two-axle rigids should be raised from 16.3 to 17 tonnes and the eight-wheel rigid limit go up from 30.5 to 32 tonnes. The drive axle limit would be raised to 10 tonnes on tractive units operated at 32.5 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the FTA is continuing its campaign for a 40-tonne maximum weight limit in the UK. From the next month, July 1, all EEC countries except Britain and the Republic of Ireland will operate at 40 tonnes or above.
MA vintage puffer costal cargo vessel has taken several tonnes of dangerous acids to a Western Isles destination because the Department of Trade would not allow lorries with the containers of acids to be taken by car ferry. However, to get to the puffer the lorries did use a car ferry in regular service with cars and passengers on board at the same time, and now the Department says it will investigate the matter, reports the Glasgow Herald, May 12.
Between three and four tonnes of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and two other acids were in plastic carboys in sealed containers on lorries operated by haulier Tom Shanks of Aberdeen. Caledonian MacBrayne, which had just introduced its new ferry, Hebridean Isles, capable of taking any size of vehicle, was told by the Department it could not transport the acids on lorries from Uig in Skye to Tarbert, Harris.
Through an agent, the Easdale Island Ship ping Line agreed to take the acids direct to Lewis and arrange to have its puffer, Eileen Eisdale, meet the lorries at Kyle of Lochalsh on the north-west mainland. But the loading place was changed at short notice to Dunvegan pier in Skye after the puffer discharged coal at the island. The drivers were told of the change of destination at Kyle of Lochalsh. The drivers drove their lorries aboard the car ferry there and were taken on the five-minute crossing to Kylealcin in Skye and then carried on to the new rendezvous at Dunvegan. "There was no danger to the other ferry passengers," a spokesman for the haulier later told the paper.
A Calmac official explained that the company had contacted the marine survey branch of the Department of Trade in Glasgow when asked by a fowarding agent if the containers of acids could be taken by lorries on the cross-Minch ferry. The company was told the containers of acids could not be accepted because the ferry is a passenger carrying vessel, • The abolition of redundancy rebates for employers of 10 or more employees will come into effect on August 1, or as soon as the Wages Bill receives Royal Assent. Commercial Motor, May 17.
IA 64-year-old haulage contractor died almost instantly when the hydraulic lifting gear of a lorry crushed his chest, a Port Talbot inquest jury was told, reports the Western Mail, May 31. A verdict of accidental death was returned on David Thomas Davies of Glynneath, who was helping to remove the gearbox and engine of the lorry.
II John Moore has been promoted from Treasury Financial Secretary to Transport Secretary and is now a member of the Cabinet. He will be keen to press ahead with privatisation and other radical matters, reports Commercial Motor, May 31. This makes the fourth change of Transport Secretary since the Conservatives came to power seven years ago.