MIA wants urgent DoE routeing talks
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THE Road Haulage Association, responding to the DoE's consultative paper on lorry routes, has called for an urgent meeting to discuss the proposed road network for the 1980s, and the likely definition of "access" in any compulsory scheme.
The Association says that the limitation on future road development for industrial traffic is the most serious aspect of the routeing problem so far as the road transport industry is concerned. The network proposed in the DoE document is quite unacceptable, says the RHA: roads shown for the second stage are vital to any lorry routes otherwise detours will be enormous and costly. For example, East Coast traffic having to divert almost to London on its way to the Midlands.
Other main points in the RHA's nine-page submission are' There is a danger of a plethora of unnecessary signs, prohibiting routes which are not used anyway.
Pictorial "lorry" signs are not enough; distinctive letters and perhaps colours are needed as part of an essentially simple scheme, applied Uniformly for both national and local routes.
The DoE must require local authorities to show the viability of routeing proposals before becoming committed to roadworks and bans.
Access must be preserved, not only to freight destin. tions but to haula.c premises.
The "breakpoint" for affe ted vehicles should corre pond with, say, long-vehic marker requirements, or tl number of axles, to aid Tea identification.
No new obligatory tran shipment plans should I started until costs and ben fits have been examined.
"Positive" signposting routes is also essential,