Drivers winning Dykes fight says FTA president
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• Lorry drivers have won the second round in their battle against the Dykes Act — the Heavy Commercial Vehicles (Controls and Regulations) Act 1973 — according to Mr Len Castleton, president of the Freight Transport Association.
Speaking to North Western division members of the Association Mr Castleton said that the first round was lost decisively when the Bill was introduced, but now the DoE had issued a circular (CM last week) to local authorities stressing that the powers of the Act should be used with extreme caution to avoid damaging local economy and well-being by restricting lorry movements.
Mr Castleton said that the second round had been a victory for common sense and he hoped that local authorities would heed the -excellent advice given to them".
The FTA, he continued, had always maintained that the Dykes Act sought to tackle the wrong problems and he found it hard to believe that legitimate public concern about lorries was really about the delivery vehicle, The real grouse, said Mr Castleton, was about through traffic on the one hand and overnight parking in residential areas on the other. The answers — roads and lorry parks — were highlighted in the circular.
. Mr Castleton thought the third round was to be the formulation by local authorities of plans for heavy lorry controls. The FTA had to cope with plans affecting every town and village in the UK for the next decade if it was to do its job properly without failing its members in an area that could have a considerable impact on costs and efficiency.