§ 36. Mr. Rankinasked the Minister of Transport if he will introduce regulations to institute a statutory limit to the height of fully-loaded commercial vehicles and to impose a speed limit of 50 miles per hour on such vehicles.
§ Mr. CarmichaelWe see no advantage overall in setting a height limit for loaded goods vehicles. Goods vehicles generally are at present subject to a 40 m.p.h. speed limit on general purpose roads and a 70 m.p.h. limit on motorways. We are now preparing regulations to reduce the limit for heavy goods vehicles on motorways to 60 m.p.h. and raise that for lights vans on other roads to 50 m.p.h.
§ Mr. RankinIs my hon. Friend aware that in passing under some older bridges 23 high vehicles have to go under the middle of the bridge where the camber is greatest, thus blocking both lines of traffic and causing congestion of traffic? Does he not think that a regulation imposing a limit on height is absolutely necessary in these conditions?
§ Mr. CarmichaelI think it would be too much to make a general regulation on height. It would be commercially very disadvantageous to the nation if vehicles had to be of a lesser height than some are at present. All new bridges with a height of 16 ft. 6 in, cater for the regulation height of vehicles. We rely on advertising and notices on the roads to notify vehicles when they are coming to older bridges which are lower.