11-ton axles could mean £200m costs
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• Before any agreement is reached with the European Economic Community over increased axle weights Mr John Peyton should seek the opinion of the Commons, urged Mr Arthur Lewis (Labour, West Ham North) last week.
He recalled the estimate that a limit of 11.5 tons would mean the spending of £.300m to strengthen British roads and bridges, and asked for an estimate of the cost of damage to historic buildings, houses and monuments.
He wanted Mr Peyton to stop the introduction of lorries with an 11-ton axle weight, or an overall weight of 40 tons, but all that Mr Peyton would say to each point was "No Community decision will be reached until consultations have taken place with the acceding countries."
Later Mr Peyton said that over a 10-15 year period accelerated wear of roads and bridges due to 11-ton axles would probably involve additional expenditure of some £200m. Increased cost of new road construction would be about L5m-8m a year.