§ 2.43 p.m.
§ Viscount MOUNTGARRETMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether provision could be made to prohibit the overtaking by heavy goods vehicles exceeding three tons axle weight, when proceeding uphill, of other moving vehicles on any road which has a gradient of more than 1:10.
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, where local circumstances warrant it, there is already power under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967 for the appropriate authority to impose such a prohibition by order on a specified length of road. The Government are not persuaded that there is sufficient justification for a general prohibition.
§ Viscount MOUNTGARRETMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Does he not think that it would be appropriate if the Government were to draw the attention of local authorities to this inconvenience, which I am sure he and many other hundreds of motorists have suffered, by being unreasonably impeded on inclines, particularly lengthy ones, by leviathan juggernauts, straining every ounce of energy, billowing out black diesel fumes, attempting to grind past others striving hard to—
§ Viscount MOUNTGARRETMy Lords, is my noble friend not aware that this overtaking is not allowed on the Continent? Is there any good reason why a prohibition cannot be simply implemented in this country?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, a prohibition can be very simply implemented in this country, if the Department of Transport or the local authority concerned so wished. We are at the moment in consultation with Kent County Council regarding the possibility of such an order being made in respect of Swanscombe Hill.
§ Baroness SHARPLESMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that I hold a heavy duty licence? Does he not agree that it is vital that as quickly as possible we do whatever we can to help prevent accidents which inevitably occur on such inclines when there is a tail of traffic behind a very heavy lorry overtaking another lorry?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I quite agree with the noble Baroness. The best we can hope for is that drivers use their common sense. If two heavy vehicles are travelling at about the same speed, it is not very clever of the driver of one of them to try to overtake the other. If noble Lords know of such incidences occurring regularly in particular places, I would ask that they let the Department of Transport, myself, or one of my right honourable friends know about it, or alternatively, press the local authority to make an order. This is a perfectly simple thing to do where there is a need for it.
Lord DRUMABLYNMy Lords, might it not be suitable to include this point in the next issue of the Highway Code?
§ Lord MOWBRAY and STOURTONMy Lords, I believe that the Highway Code already includes advice about overtaking in sensible places, but I shall have a look at what my noble friend has suggested.