Latest road report astonishes road haulage sector
The Road Haulage Association is astonished at the report from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering which claims that levels of congestion 'are rising fast because almost a third of lorries are being driven empty'.
Commenting, RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “The number of lorries on our roads has hardly changed over many years; nor has empty running, much of which is inevitable, as the report concedes.
“By contrast, the number of cars and vans on UK roads is rising rapidly. The idea that replacing efficiently-operated large goods vehicles with vans will reduce congestion is illogical. Lorries are good for cities.”
He continued: “Road haulage is a vital, IT-driven and innovative service industry that powers every sector of the UK economy. It responds remarkably well to very challenging customer requirements, despite the restrictions of tightly-defined drivers' hours and other regulations. An already inadequate road network – the HGV driver’s main place of work - does not help the situation.
“The suggestion that road hauliers don't know what they are doing is ridiculous. They will continue to serve the economy but they are the victims, not the cause, of increasing congestion. It’s a fact that of 35 million vehicles on UK roads, little more than 1 percent are lorries.”
