Proposals to introduce so-called ‘super-lorries’ on to British roads have been rejected by the Government.
Transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, announced the decision, following the publication of a Transport Research Laboratory report, highlighting a number of issues she said made their use impractical on bot a permanent and trial basis.
Commissioned by the DfT, the report found that longer, heavier vehicles (LHVs), weighing up to 60t and more than 80 feet in length, could lead to an increase in CO2 emissions, due to goods shifting from rail to road.
The report goes on to say they could create serious implications for the management of the road network, since the vehicles would be unsuitable for many UK roads and junctions.
Mrs Kelly said: ‘Not only are there clear environmental drawbacks, but providing the infrastructure to accommodate them would require substantial investment.’
There are also uncertainties about how efficiently such vehicles could be used, particularly sourcing loads of sufficient size to make return journeys sustainable.
But the Freight Transport Association said a major opportunity to achieve carbon savings in the road freight sector had been lost with a ‘sadly negative and blinkered decision’.
FTA director of policy, James Hookham, said Mrs Kelly had ‘kicked into touch’ the most effective means of achieving double-digit carbon savings in the road freight sector.
‘The report has, rightly, identified enormous complexities. However, all she had to do was talk to the logistics industry in order to sort out how any downside could be prevented and how to take maximum advantage of the major benefits in prospect.’
Mr Hookham said the decision would set a difficult tone regarding how carbon savings could be achieved in the sector in future. Campaign group, Freight on Rail, however, said it was delighted the Government had rejected the lorries.
Philippa Edmunds, campaigner, said: ‘Now we hope the European Commission, which is currently evaluating longer, heavier vehicles, will follow suit.’
The German Government rejected LHVs last November, after extensive trials, largely on road safety grounds. The TRL report did show worthwhile benefits from permitting a small increase in the length of current articulated vehicles, which the DfT said it would consider further.
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