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'Cars should move aside'
Page 7
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THE INCOMING TRAFFIC chief at the Highways Agency has given an unexpected boost to the transport industry by calling for trucks to be given priority on motorways.
DerekTurner has not yet started at the Highways Agency, but in an interview with a national newspaper he wastes no time in champi oning the freight transport industry. He criticises car drivers for clogging up motorways with short trips and suggests jams would be less frequent if they were to realise that "motorways are strategic routes, not short cuts".
Turner calls for "economically important" traffic such as trucks to be given priority. He says long-distance drivers are forced to slow down constantly due to cars entering at one junction and leaving at the next.
Despite these comments, the Highways Agency will still be trialling a single-lane restric tion for trucks on the M42 within a few months.
Tunter,the former head of Transport for London, was behind the capital's congestion charge and invented the"red route" clearways. As director of traffic operations he will now tackle congestion on motorways, supported by the new national traffic control centre.
Turner clarifies his new role by adding: "I think my job is to improve efficiency."
A Highways Agency spokeswoman says his comments were speculation misquoted as fact: "There's no specific programme at this stage. We are focusing on easing congestion for all road users."