New length concessions
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• Legislative delays will prevent operators from using 16.5m artics until mid-February at the earliest, says the Department of Transport, unless it can make the legislation retrospective.
The DTp blames the delays on difficulties in drafting the legislation and an unprecedented number of consultations with interested parties about the proposals.
These have led to important concessions by the DTp relating to the maximum length of articulated vehicles in a proposed amendment to Construction and Use regulations.
Proposals to impose a turning circle limit of 12.5m (outer radius) and 5.3m (inner radius) will not now apply to combinations with a semi-trailer built or modified to increase its length before 1 April 1990, nor to combinations with an overall length of 15.5m or less.
In the original announcement by Transport Minister Robert Atkins last September, car transporters were included in turning circle rules. This would have caused problems for many car transporter operators, as the forepeak protrusion extends the turning circle.
Following consultation with the industry, the DTp has agreed to ignore the protrusion of the forepeak on car transporters when calculating the turning circle.
The DTp also proposes to alter regulations applying to low-loaders and stepframe lowloaders. Bowing to pressure from the industry, the DTp plans to increase the maximum length for low-loaders to 18m (though stepframe low-loaders will be limited to 16.5m) and to waive requirements about swing radius, distance from kingpin and turning circle for this type of artic.
0 Comments concerning the proposals must be directed to the DIp by 12 January. It is hoped that the changes can be introduced by the end of February.