§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of providing quarry materials by rail for the construction of the Airedale trunk road and the current cost using road-borne traffic; how many road transport contractors are involved; and how many vehicle inspections have been carried out in 1987 to the most recent practicable date.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe cost of providing materials by rail is not available for the two sections of the Airedale route under construction. Following investigation, the Department was satisfied that the cost of delivering bulk materials by rail was considerably greater than by road.
The estimated cost of imported bulk fill by road for the first section of the route is £4.0 million; for the second section the estimated cost is £1.0 million. To date, 70 haulage subcontractors have been employed on the first section and 53 on the second.
Inspections of loaded vehicles are not related to hauliers working on particular road schemes. The Department's traffic examiners and vehicle examiners carry out programmes of roadside checks on weights and other aspects and also fleet inspections to check mechanical conditions of vehicles.