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CANCEL THIS CRAZY PLAN NOW!
Page 3
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Ludicrous, ridiculous, idiotic, ill-conceived, poorly thought out —are we making ourselves clear'? There's plenty more words we could use, but most are unprintable. Our venom this week is reserved for the Highways Agency's crackpot scheme to limit trucks to lane one of the motorway. We've often wondered how long it would be before some bright spark at the Highways Agency returned from a trip to Germany —where this system currently operates and thought they'd try it over here. But we've news for the Highways Agency: it doesn't work in Germany and it won't work over here.
Lines of HGVs travelling at the speed of the slowest leads to drivers travelling too close to each other, getting frustrated, bored and tired, with the obvious consequences. And when there's an accident it creates an almighty mess as the trucks pile into each other.
creates an almighty mess as the trucks pile into each other
In an industry struggling to recruit drivers the last thing that's required is yet another frustration on the roads, making the job less attractive. Stand by for an even greater exodus if the "trial" works. And of course it will work... for car drivers. But for trucks it's a different story. The stretch of motorway the Highways Agency is suggesting is two lanes, mostly uphill. It will only require one under-powered, fully freighted motor to labour on the hill and the whole convoy will crawl along. But the Highways Agency couldn't care less about that; if the cars can get through then everyone's happy.
Wrong! Have they learnt nothing at the Highways Agency? Hasn't anyone thought about the consequences for the road transport industry? Once again trucks are being sidelined in order to make way for cars. The Highways Agency would never consider limiting fire engines or ambulances in such a way, so why do it for trucks? They're performing the same essential service to society. And don't think this is a local issue on the M42: it' the thin end of the wedge and if the trial appears to cut congestion for car drivers it will soon impact on us all.
CMS advice to the Highways Agency is simple: cancel this trial. It will network.