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It is possible to special dispensation to travel on a
Page 55
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day when the fs a truck ban, but this can be complicated to obtai
One consequence of the European way of taking holidays en masse for several weeks over the summer is that truck bans increase. European truck restrictions often prove a challenge to the delivery schedules of UK hauliers, but never more so than in August.
In France, for example, every Saturday in August sees a general ban for vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on all roads from 7am to 7pm. This can be disruptive enough, but combined with the year-round Sunday truck ban it leaves a narrow window (7pm-midnight) when trucks can move at the weekend at all.
Don Armour, head of international services at the Freight Transport Association (FTA), says it is often when one ban quickly moves into another that UK international hauliers encounter most problems.
"France is quite difficult, but during August Italy has bans on what they call 'days of heavy traffic' and Germany also bans trucks on some roads in August," he says. "Part of the issue is that they are not co-ordinated between countries so that drivers can leave a country with one ban finishing and go into another where it is just starting."
Finding out about the bans is not particularly straightforward either. Regular international hauliers learn by experience and the monthly bulletins issued by the FTA and the Road Haulage Association (RHA) are also helpful. Even so, says Armour, "we occasionally hear from members who have been surprised by a ban, particularly in the summer".
It is possible to get a special dispensation to travel on a day when there is a truck ban, but this can be complicated to obtain. In France it is the prefect of the district in which the foreign truck enters the country who has the power to issue such a dispensation. Normally, says Armour, these are confined to special events, such as racing cars being delivered to racetracks, or to other matters close to French hearts, such as deliveries of perishable foods including shellfish.
The UK is not the only country to have relatively few truck bans. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Latvia are among those that keep bans to a minimum, says Armour.
A key element appears to be the amount of through traffic countries experience. "Basically some countries where many trucks are passing through to make a delivery somewhere else take the attitude that they don't want their weekends or their holidays spoilt,' says Armour.
He believes one solution could be to get Europe-wide agreement that designated trans-European route networks should be free of the bans, but he does not hold out much hope of this happening. "It's been suggested before, but some countries just aren't having it.'