Lorry ban plan foi private roads
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• Trucks and coaches could be banned from toll roads built by private road contractors eager to make their motorways more attractive to car drivers.
Under June's Green Paper on private roads, it was proposed that ordinary traffic law would apply to private motorways — but private road building contractors are pushing for their own set of traffic regulations which include minimum speed limits, maximum speed limits well above the national limit, and HGV restrictions.
Chris Groome of the National Economic Development Office says: "The Department of Transport view is that they will remain the highway authority over private roads and all traffic regulations apply. But they are agreeable to ideas such as a segregation of lanes restricting HGVs and coaches." Groome adds that private contractors want to offer as many features as possible for toll roads, and restricting HGV and coach access would be "commercially attractive".
These proposals come in the same week as the Dip issues documents to companies planning to tender for Britain's first private enterprise toll motorway — the £200 million Midlands M6 relief road.
However, plans to ban trucks from toll roads to speet the passage of cars would undermine Government move: to improve the nation's road network for everybody. When the White and Green Papers on roads were launched in May this year. former transport secretary Paul Channon said the main aim of the programme was to cater for freight to ensure economic growth.
Chairman of Costain Ventures, Ian Clarke, says the Government must consider restricting heavy vehicles for two reasons. He says: "Firstly, many firms have looked at the possibility of double-decking the M25. If this could be restricted to light vehicles the programme would be cheaper. Secondly, one of the main hazards on the motorway is lorry spray. If you eliminated that through banning trucks, the flow of traffic would be safer in bad weather."
Prominent figures in the road transport industry say they are appalled at the moves to restrict privately-built toll roads to light vehicles. Many call the proposals an excuse to keep spending levels down.
The Road Haulage Association says the plans would enable the construction industry to retrieve its investment money as quickly as possible by making the roads more attractive to car users and, at the same time, allowing them to build sub-standard roads.
Graham Eames, head of Transfrigouroute, slams the plans as "naive and ridiculous". He says: "Construction firms just want to build roads on a shoestring. You cannot do that if HGVs are travelling up and down them all day."
The Association of Metropolitan Authorities adds: "We are opposed to any kind of restriction purely designed to maximise profits regardless of the needs of road users."