US TRUCKERS are battling the Teamsters union and American railways over legislation that would forbid them from operating larger trucks.
The bills, one from the House and the other in the Senate, would retain the 80,000-lbs, 53-foot truck size limit now allowed on Interstate Highways and extend it to cover the National Highways.
New Jersey Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, favours the restrictive Senate bill.
Sen Lautenberg said the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA) of 2011, is a "balanced, common-sense approach to maintaining our highways, keeping our economy moving forward, and making sure our roads are safe for everyone travelling on them."
Favouring the restrictive bill was Association of American Railroads vice president Patricia Reilly, who said: "Big, heavy trucks don't pay their share of the damage to our nation's highways, costing American taxpayers billions of dollars each year for pothole and bridge repairs. Now isn't the time to increase the infrastructure subsidy enjoyed by trucks, which in turn increases the cost burden on taxpayers."?
Also favouring the bill was Teamster president Jim Hoffa, who said: "Heavier and longer trucks mean greater stopping distances and shorter reaction times. And the reality is that our highways and bridges are not equipped to handle the increased weight and size."
To this, American Trucking Associations president Bill Graves said: "For years, we've seen organisations proselytise about the dangers posed by trucking. Trucking has never been safer. Trucking has been involved in far fewer fatal and injury crashes, and it has improved its fatality and injury crash rates by 34 and 39 per cent respectively."
Mr Graves also said safety groups have not made a serious proposal to address trucking safety. "Their fix, arbitrarily cut working hours to advance labour's agenda, and further restrict truck size and weight to advance the railroad agenda," he said.
The bills, one from the House and the other in the Senate, would retain the 80,000-lbs, 53-foot truck size limit now allowed on Interstate Highways and extend it to cover the National Highways.
New Jersey Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, favours the restrictive Senate bill.
Sen Lautenberg said the Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act (SHIPA) of 2011, is a "balanced, common-sense approach to maintaining our highways, keeping our economy moving forward, and making sure our roads are safe for everyone travelling on them."
Favouring the restrictive bill was Association of American Railroads vice president Patricia Reilly, who said: "Big, heavy trucks don't pay their share of the damage to our nation's highways, costing American taxpayers billions of dollars each year for pothole and bridge repairs. Now isn't the time to increase the infrastructure subsidy enjoyed by trucks, which in turn increases the cost burden on taxpayers."?
Also favouring the bill was Teamster president Jim Hoffa, who said: "Heavier and longer trucks mean greater stopping distances and shorter reaction times. And the reality is that our highways and bridges are not equipped to handle the increased weight and size."
To this, American Trucking Associations president Bill Graves said: "For years, we've seen organisations proselytise about the dangers posed by trucking. Trucking has never been safer. Trucking has been involved in far fewer fatal and injury crashes, and it has improved its fatality and injury crash rates by 34 and 39 per cent respectively."
Mr Graves also said safety groups have not made a serious proposal to address trucking safety. "Their fix, arbitrarily cut working hours to advance labour's agenda, and further restrict truck size and weight to advance the railroad agenda," he said.
Source : HKSG, 09.05.11.
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