Lorry Routes (Hansard, 1 March 1978)

§ 6. Mr. Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what new initiatives he proposes in concert with the appropriate local authorities to achieve a cut-back in heavy vehicles using city and town centres and the immediate residential areas.

§ Mr. Horam
The Government advised local authorities, with which the powers to control heavy lorries reside, on the exercise of these powers in the White Paper on transport policy. Supplementary advice on the use of traffic management schemes has been given since, and another circular, just issued, gives guidance on the use of signs for advisory lorry routes where mandatory restrictions may not be feasible. These initiatives need time to have their full effect.

§ Mr. Smith
Is the Under-Secretary of State aware that, despite various proposals and regulations made over the years, in our town and city centres today there are more heavy lorries than ever using the roads? Secondly, is he aware that in residential areas these same lorries are doing enormous environmental damage? In all the circumstances, should not the Department of Transport take a lead in bringing together the various local authorities to ensure that there is a cut-back in the number of lorries using these areas?

§ Mr. Horam
As the hon. Gentleman may be aware—I am sure that he is, from events in Kenilworth, in his constituency—my Department is taking the lead in trying to bring together the local authorities on which responsibility rests for applying restrictions of this kind. As for the hon. Gentleman's own area, if the local authorities can bring forward a scheme which will ease the problem in places such as Kenilworth, we shall be only too happy to help.

§ Mr. John Ellis
What is happening about my hon. Friend's inquiry into drivers' overnight accommodation? Does he realise that accommodation for thousands of drivers is either non-existent or utterly inadequate? If the accommodation were improved, would it not stop drivers having to take their vehicles into the centres of our towns and cities, where they have to go now if they want to have a kip?

§ Mr. Horam
I agree with my hon. Friend. If we can provide better facilities for lorry drivers, we shall solve some of the problems which are plaguing towns and villages throughout the country. As he is aware, we are talking about this problem to the Transport and General Workers' Union, among others, and I am sure that we shall eventually be able to make progress.

§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilson
Are there in the Department any figures to show how many 32-ton vehicles passing through city centres actually have to go there and how many could take an alternative route?

§ Mr. Horam
That sounds a rather theoretical question, but I shall see whether we have such figures in the Department.

§ Mr. Conlan
Will my hon. Friend recognise that, so long as he and his Department insist on levying tolls on the Tyne tunnel, there will be a disincentive to lorry drivers to use that tunnel, with resulting overcrowding in an area of Gateshead which he knows well, namely, Low Fell?

§ Mr. Horam
I am well aware of the problems of Gateshead, as my hon. Friend is, but I must remind him that the principle on which tolls are levied on tunnels and bridges has been well understood from Government to Government, namely, that the user must pay for a very big facility. If the user does not pay, the ratepayer or taxpayer will have to pay. Moreover, I think that the Tyne tunnel is pretty well full to capacity even with tolls, so I am not sure that Gateshead would gain any benefit from a reduction in tolls there.