Bridge work hits Scots
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by David Craik • A number of small Scottish hauliers could he forced out of business by bridge-strengthening needed to meet the end of the UK derogation on 40-tonne vehicles on five axles at the start of next year.
Joan Williams, regional policy advisor of the Scottish Freight Transport Association, says Dumfries and Galloway Council's announcement that weight restrictions are needed for 167 bridges in its region is "frightening". "Many of these restrictions take bridge limits down from 38 tonnes to three tonnes," she says.
"The plans mean many hauliers will not have alternative routes and may be landlocked. The added costs and extra mileage could make all the difference for the smaller hauliers and their businesses," says Williams.
Williams is concerned that the scale of the problem in Scotland is not fully known because most local authorities, unlike Dumfries and Galloway, have not carried out bridge strength assessments.
"They are running out of time to avoid uncertainty and disruption for hauliers," she says.
A public hearing is to be held in Dumfries at Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council on 27 November to discuss the imposition of the weight restrictions and for complaints to be aired.
Alan Christisan, of Adam Wilson and Sons based in Ayr, has already raised objections to the council about possible weight restrictions on up to four bridges used regularly by his company. "These proposals will mean many timber firms will have no alternative routes—it will lead to severe financial consequences," he says.