Vote Labour and pay over £2k
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Jumping on the cycle bandwagon, Labour's Mary Creagh wants operators to sign up to a voluntary charter, which will become compulsory in 2015 if they win the election. By June she wants ALL trucks retrofitted with additional safety equipment. Her demands, with a rough cost for a typical 18-tonner: Reversing alarm (£130); rear-view camera (£450); flashing lights and beacons (£650); daytime
running lights (£350); class VI (Cyclops) mirror (£25); rear warning signs for cyclists (£3); tipper sheeting (N/A). By December 2017 she wants side underrun guards (N/A); blind spot elimination devices (£450); an audible warning for cyclists (£130). That comes to about £2,200. An artic would cost disproportionately more and tipper operators can add £2,500 for side underrun bars and sheeting systems. My favourite are the beacons. Presumably they would be on whenever a truck is moving. With every truck flashing orange, good luck spotting recovery vehicles on the hard shoulder and what will they do for fuel economy? In urban areas residents will need blackout blinds at night. Maybe the UK haulage industry can pay for these too! Will Shiers Editor