Industry associations wary over HGV overtaking ban policy
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christinda11.78 fagooglema,t.i.orn 'FFIE HAULAGE industry's two main trade associations have voiced their concerns that the Highways Agency (HA) is pursuing a strategy of introducing lorry overtaking bans across the country as a cheap method of tackling congestion.
With two permanent bans already in place on the A14 and M42, and news that the HA is to start testing a further ban on the A34 at Gore Hill, Berkshire; make permanent an HGV ban on the A 1(M) in County Durham; and considering another on theAl in Lincolnshire.the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has demanded to know if more will be rolled out nationally.
Chrys Rampley, RHA infrastructure manager, says the HA denies it hut "only for the current financial year'?
She adds: "I am a little sceptical. If it wins public confidence, we are going to see more of them rolled out. But they are denying there's a programme."
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says it does not object to their use-is lung as they are introduced alongside crawler lanes for trucks.
FTA policy manager Gordon Telling's concern is that it is "one of those measures that appears to be demonstrating that the Department for Transport and HA arc doing something that is very cheap to do. hut isn't actually achieving very much-.
An HA spokesman says: "We are considering testing overtaking bans at a few carefully selected sites that meet specific criteria, such as where there is a high traffic volume, particularly HGV traffic, and long or steep inclines There is no intention to introduce a blanket HGV overtaking ban across the network."