Cou lorr Is reject outeing
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LARGE-SCALE lorry routeir has been ruled out as impra. tical by most local authoritie A comprehensive survey t the Freight Transport AS$4 ciation, which has studie lorry management plar drawn up by the 54 couni authorities in England an Wales, shows that the costs such plans would be prohib tive.
The survey also shows th only 17 authorities have eve got as far as making a fin commitment or bringing Li the issue for final decision.
The Heavy Commercial vi hides (Controls and Rega tions) Act 1973 imposed a dui on local authorities to prepai such plans by January 1, 19; (1978 Scotland).
Access
Every lorry-control schenr proposed by the counties prt vides for access to premises I load and unload, but the FT is concerned at the extent t the diversions in some places Director general of th Association, Hugh Feathe stone, has said that recei comments made by Transpo Minister William Rodget lakes it clear that no one 'ants a national lorry routeig system in present circumLances.
Mr Featherstone has also aid he would like Mr Rodgers D follow this up by saying that othing could be done now bout such a system.
The VIA survey also points ,ut the difficulties posed to rivers by the differing types f restrictions put forward by he county authorities.
The majority of restrictions are set at 3 tons unladen, some at 5 tons unladen, and others based on width.
Several counties would have preferred the more logical 16 tons gross demarcation, but have been thwarted by technical difficulties concerning the design of a new traffic sign.
Some local authorities have adopted a mix of different methods and levels of restrictions, even on some occasions using two parameters on the same length of road.