BRITISH lobby group Freight on Rail says that a study it
commissioned from London's Metropolitan Transport Research Unit (MTRU) contends
that allowing truck trailers to be two-metres longer will bring more costs than
benefits.
The study's conclusions, drawn from MTRU's own impact
assessments rather than actual data, said larger semi-trailers "would have
significant impact on road safety by increasing fatalities and
congestion", said Freight on Rail manager Philippa Edmunds.
"The economic, safety and environmental case for
mega-trucks is highly questionable. The only beneficiaries are the big
logistics companies with society picking up the bill," said Ms Edmunds,
adding that it was an industry with an "insatiable appetite for bigger,
heavier heavy goods vehicles (HGV)".
Additionally, she said, the length of the proposed larger
semi-trailer trucks would lead to increased weights as occurred in Netherlands
from 50 tonnes to 60 tonnes, Finland up to 76 tonnes and Sweden's current trial
of 30-metres HGVs leading to 80 tonnes in urban areas, she said. The UK has a
40-tonne limit.
The environmentally focussed MTRU said present standards
for heavy goods vehicles are too lax. "At present, the largest HGVs do not
meet their environmental, congestion and other external costs," said the
study, posted on its website.
"Overall, some road freight operators would benefit
from longer trailers, but others may be forced to buy vehicles they rarely
need, particularly small and medium sized public hauliers. This would lead to
less efficient operations with lower load factors," the study said.
Source : HKSG.
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