1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
FR slams unhelpful Dip on 11-tonne rules
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The Freight Transport Association has criticised the Department of Transport for refusing to help local authorities change their traffic regulation orders for the introduction of 17-tonners on 1 April.
The DTp attitude is "ironic" and "disappointing", says the association. According to the FTA's controller of planning and traffic services Don McIntyre: "This isn't simply a matter of councils with 16.5-tonne bans going out and changing their signs to 17 tonnes. They have to amend the relevant traffic orders as well," — a lengthy business.
The FTA suggested a cheaper and simpler alternative — but the Dip was not in
terested, it says.
"Unfortunately, it all seems too difficult," says McIntyre. The DTp has "told us it would have to consult local authorities and not everyone would like it. Some might think the Government was giving undue priority to lorry weights."
A haulier running a 16-tonne truck in London, below the night-time and weekend lorry ban limit, who ups his GVW to 17 tonnes after 1 April in line with the spirit of the new law, will be breaking the existing lorry ban rules and could be open to prosecution.
The LBTC position is that it wants the 16.5-tonne lorry ban limit increased to 17 tonnes as soon as possible, but only when every London borough agrees. At present 11 hard-line boroughs are still holding out on this issue by refusing to increase the weight threshold.
McIntyre is particularly frustrated that he first raised the 17 tonne question with the DTp last June. In January the department sent out a circular to the local authorities telling them that it was unlikely that many 17-tonne two-axle vehicles would be on the roads from day one — but, the Dip also warned the councils in its letter that "a highway authority which had not altered its signing and Traffic Regulation Orders by 1 April 1988 would be allowing a significant enforcement problem to arise".