NUTTY SLACK (Hansard, 23 March 1953)

§ 39. Mr. Hamilton

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the total sales of nutty slack to date; how such sales compare with his estimate; and what is his policy on the summer sales of this fuel.

STATEMENT
The use on roads of vehicles specially designed and constructed for the carriage of abnormal indivisible loads is now authorised by Part III of the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order, 1952, under the conditions there laid down.
Important respects in which certain of the conditions differ from those laid down in the Order in force in 1939 are as follows:
Present Conditions	Compared with 1939
1. The overall width of a motor vehicle must not exceed 9 ft. 6 ins., and the overall width of a trailer must not exceed 9 ft. 6 ins. except where a greater width (not exceeding 20 ft.) is necessary for the safe carriage of the particular load carried by the trailer (Art. 14 (g)).	1.The maximum width was 9 ft. instead of 9 ft. 6 ins. The 20 ft. limit did not apply.
2. The overall width of a load, or a load and its carrying vehicle taken together, must not exceed 20 ft. (Art. 14 (h)).	2. Did not apply.
3. (a) The gross weight of a load and its carrying vehicle(s) taken together must not exceed 150 tons.	3. Did not apply.
(b)The weight transmitted to the road surface by any one wheel (or any pairs of wheels with centres less than 2 ft. apart) must not exceed 11½ tons.
(c)Where the gross weight exceeds 45 tons the number and spacing of axles is determined by a specified calculation (Art. 14 (j)).
4. A maximum speed of 12 m.p.h. is permitted where the total aggregate weight of the load and carrier and (if more than one vehicle is used) of all the vehicles including the tractor used in combination, does not exceed 75 tons, and certain further conditions are satisfied.	4. Maximum speed under these conditions was limitd to 5 m.p.h.
5. Where the total aggregate weight, as just described, exceeds 75 tons, (a) two clear days' notice must be given to the police and (b) six clear days' notice to highway and bridge authorities (Arts. 12 and 20).	5. (a) Notice to police was not required on this ground. (b) Two clear days' notice only was required to highway and bridge authorities.
6. Where the overall width of a load and vehicle, or either, exceeds 9 ft. 6 ins. (a) at least 3 persons inclusive of the driver or drivers must be in attendance, and (b) two days' clear notice must be given to the police (Arts. 18 (1), 19).	6. These requirements applied where the overall width exceeded 9 ft.
7. Notice must be given to highway and bridge authorities in all cases where the limits of the Construction and Use Regulations on laden weights (including axle weights) are exceeded (Art. 20 (1)).	7. Notice had to be given in all cases where the gross weight of load and carrying vehicle together exceeded 12 tons.
8. The driver of a vehicle carrying an abnormal indivisible load must not knowingly enter on a bridge while any other such vehicle is on it, and must not halt unnecessarily on any bridge.	8. Did not apply.
NOTE as regards items 2 and 3 above.
In necessary cases the Minister is prepared on application to issue a special authorisation for the movement under appropriate conditions of a load of gross weight exceeding 150 tons or of an overall width of more than 20 ft., if a road route is available.

54W