Routeing provisions too complex
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DoE TRAFFIC regulation orders proposed to implement the Dykes Act's lorry routeing provisions are "far too cornplex and unenforceable," according to a letter on the subject to the DoE from the Freight Transport Association. The FTA points out that the DoE instructions to local authorities on how to enforce the schemes are 12 pages long.
Cornerstone of the DoE proposals is a ban on goods vehicles over 3 tons unladen from entering restricted zones or roads except for loading or unloading. Complications arise, says the FTA, from a DoE recommendation that traffic orders should be so worded to ensure that the driver both enters and leaves the zone at the point on the lorry route that is closest his destination.
Present schemes are often difficult for the lorry driver to understand, says the Association. The latest proposals mean that the driver will have to appreciate which area he can enter and also exactly which route he should use. "In many cases, if by some miracle he did understand what was expected of him, this could mean quite a considerable detour," says the FTA.