Lorries do pay: Turner
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THE HEAVY lorry definitely does pay its way according to Richard Turner, controller, planning and traffic services at the Freight Transport Association.
Speaking at a seminar on heavy lorries organised last week by the Institution of Municipal Engineers, Mr Turner refuted suggestions that the lorry does not pay its fair share towards road maintenance costs.
"The new Government policy on road vehicle taxation is that it should pay its way from day one," he said.
Mr Turner went on to say that the problem was that "the people who get the money don't give it to the people who need it," and this was reflected in the general standards of road repair.
Mr Turner was also asked about the possibility of introducing weekend bans on the heavy lorry as is the case in Germany for example.
He vigorously opposed the idea, claiming that our international trade with Europe is dependent upon weekend working. Introducing such a ban would produce serious congestion at the ports, he claimed.