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Britain holds back on call for longer lorries
Page 7
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• Representatives from nine EEC governments have agreed to back proposals allowing articulated trucks of up to 16.5 metres — lm more than laid down in current EEC regulations — in a bid to eliminate the use of vehicles with ultrashort cabs (CM News Headlines 29 October-4 November).
National transport experts met in Brussels last week following calls from both the French Government and the EEC vehicle manufacturers association (CCMC) for action over short cabs which they condemn as dangerous. CCMC deputy general secretary Horst Marks says there was a general agreement at the meeting "that this dangerous trend must be stopped, but we had to take into account the legitimate interests of owners who have bought semi-trailers with increased space for 33 (Euro) palettes".
Delegates opted to lay down overall dimensions which could ultimately lead to minimum cab depths. All 12 countries' representatives agreed that the distance from the fifth wheel to the front of a tractive unit should be fixed at 4.5 metres. They also agreed that the ISO specification of a maximum 2.4 metre swept circle should be retained and that there should be a fixed, 12-metre length from the kingpin to the rear of a semi-trailer.
All the community representatives, with the exception of those from Britain, Italy and Denmark supported an increase in the total length for artic combinations, to 16.5m.
The EEC Commission is drafting an amending directive for discussion at a new meeting in Brussels, probably in February.