• ITALY RATES
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Italy's road hauliers say tough new government measures to deal with speeding offences, overloading and tampering with tachographs in commercial vehicles will mean higher freight rates which inevitably will have to be passed to the consumer.
One major carrier has already informed customers of a minimum 9% increase to cover "additional management expenses". In a recorded delivery letter to its customers, the carrier blames "drastic reductions in average speeds and working hours — especially on medium and longhaul operations — resulting from the strict enforcement of the government's regulations."
These include fines of up to £2,300 for serious speeding offences, tampering with tachographs and overloading vehicles by more than 5% above the legal maximum. The government has extended its decree banning HGVs from motorways on Sundays and public holidays until December 3 when a decision will be reached whether the ban should be permanent.
Commenting on the situation, Confetera, the general transport confederation, says that the costs of maintaining road safety must ultimately be borne by all sections of the community. Confetera also points out that competition between big and small hauliers has driven rates down, in some cases to lower than the government recommended minima.
Meanwhile the first of a two-part goslow protest by truckers to paralyse Italy's A and B roads failed to materialise. The protest was to have involved a boycott by HGVs of the motorways with trucks rigorously observing the 60km/h (37mph) limit on secondary roads. In the event only a very limited area in Southern Italy and Sardinia were affected.
The general feeling is that the industry should now try to persuade the government to review speed limits and raise the maximum from 601cm/h to 70krnth (37 to 43mph) on provincial roads, from 801cmh to 90knath (50 to 56mph) on dual-carriageway superstrade and from 80knith to1001(mili (50 to 62mph) on motorways.
by CM correspondent