Drawbar doubts
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THERE is little prospect of an increase in gross weight for drawbars in the near future, senior Department of Transport official Jim Clifton said last week.
Raising the limit from 32.5 tonnes to 38 tonnes would make drawbars much more attractive, and there would be safety and environmental advantages, he said.
But there is a strong lobby against bigger lorries, and any move which would result in more 18m drawbar combinations would be resisted.
The present 15.5m length limit for artics would not be increased further, he said, despite calls for a 16m limit. The limit had been raised from 15m to allow for longer cabs and for equipment which would be needed in future for sound reductions, Mr Clifton said.
His comments come amid mounting pressure from operators and truck makers for an increase in drawbar weights. It is unlikely to stop them presenting what they regard as sound economic arguments for 38 tonne drawbars.
The Road Haulage Association, Freight Transport Association and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders are all preparing cases in support of heavier drawbars, and are hoping for quicker acceptance from the Government than was the case with heavier artics.
An SMMT spokesman commented: "If we had given up years ago on vehicle weights we would still be operating at 24 tons."
Drawbars had a lot to offer on safety, he said. "I'm not sure whether the environmentalists are in any way concerned with safety."