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Wynn urges public to back Armitage

28th August 1982
Page 7
Page 7, 28th August 1982 — Wynn urges public to back Armitage
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Keywords : Measurement, Truck, Cision, Wynn, Ton

IE PUBLIC should come to its senses and encourage the Governant to Implement the gross weight proposals in the Armitage port, former Road Haulage Association national chairman Noel ynn said last weelL Speaking at Southport in Lanshire, Mr Wynn referred to the lay in implementing the main mitage recommendations, 'rich were published in Dember 1980, and which were Ilowed by the Government's m White Paper proposals in 'camber last year.

"Parliament has risen for the ess without any debate or a cision having been taken. It is, say the least, iniquitous that El road haulage industry, on hich economic survival so uch depends, should be left so hg in a state of limbo," he said. "The industry's investment cisions still cannot be made th any certainty. Should we replace a vehicle due for replacement with a 40-tonne lorry? Do we replace it like for like? Indeed, do we go the whole hog and tell the manufacturers to forget about increased weights and revert to vehicles capable of operating only at 32.5 tonnes gross? The latter course would be disastrous for all concerned," said Mr Wynn.

He warned that everyone will lose if the weights are not raised, saying industry would lose the benefits of more economical transport, the public would miss out on lower prices, and the environment would not gain from a reduction in the number of lorries on the road.

"I hope that the public comes to its senses and encourages the Government to implement the Armitage report," said Mr Wynn.

Filling in the background for his case, he pointed out that British operators' demands for weights to be harmonised with the 40 and 44-tonne limits which apply in Europe had been met with "illogical" storms of protest from environmentalists.

He went on: "The arguments against the heavier lorry, like many of the arguments against nuclear power, motorways, battery farming, and pesticides are emotive, with scant regard to fact or reason.

"But since emotion has more impact than reason, is more fun, makes better journalistic copy and, therefore, sells more papers, the sponsor of the juggernaut hysteria gets a much better press than the persuasive arguments that the transport industry endeavours to put over," he added.

Mr Wynn pointed out that the lower British weight limit means that containers entering this country have to be opened and part-unloaded to keep within the law, and added that operators are also irritated by "abundant and mounting evidence" that Continental and Irish hauliers ignore British weight limits, and are seldom caught by enforcement authorities.

Tags

Organisations: Road Haulage Association
People: Wynn, Noel
Locations: Southport

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