Safety boost?
Page 17
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THE GOVERNMENT is considering a minimum safety standard for coach bodies and hopes to make a decision later this year.
Announcing this in the Commons, Junior Transport Minister Kenneth Clarke pointed out that technical requirements aimed at ensuring minimum standards for the strength of coach bodies have been considered at a recent meeting of the UN Economic Commission for Europe. These are now being evaluated by the participating countries.
Mr Clarke turned down the idea of the compulsory fitting of road speed control devices on coaches_ He said that the department did not believe this would be a cost-effective means of enforcing observance of the speed limit.
The Transport and Road Research Laboratory had not made a full evaluation of road speed governors, added Mr Clarke, but it had studied the effect on fuel consumption of lowering maximum speeds for different types of vehicle. It hoped to publish a report later this year.