Longer lorries to be allowed on Britain's roads

The authorities has approved the usage of longer lorries connected British roads, saying it volition marque businesses much businesslike and chopped emissions.

It comes contempt 1 run radical informing the determination could enactment pedestrians and cyclists astatine risk.

Longer lorries tin transportation much goods successful less trips but person a larger process swing, meaning their rear extremity covers a greater country erstwhile turning. They besides person extended unsighted spots.

But ministers importune they are safe.

Lorries up to 18.55m agelong - which is astir 2.05m longer than the modular size - person been trialled since 2011 and determination are already astir 3,000 successful use.

However, from 31 May immoderate concern successful England, Scotland and Wales volition beryllium permitted to usage them.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the vehicles would assistance businesses beryllium much productive. For example, bakery concatenation Greggs - which has utilized the vehicles since 2013 - says it tin transportation 15% much goods than accustomed successful a longer trailer.

The determination is acceptable to effect successful £1.4bn of economical benefits and instrumentality 1 standard-size trailer disconnected the roadworthy for each 12 trips, the authorities said.

It estimates the vehicles volition prevention 70,000 tonnes of c dioxide from being released into the ambiance implicit 11 years.

However, the Campaign for Better Transport said the alteration was was a "deeply retrograde step" which volition "do thing to tackle c emissions oregon aerial pollution".

Spokesman Norman Baker added that the bigger "tail swing" of the lorries presented a "danger to different roadworthy users and pedestrians".

He added: "Rather than longer lorries, the authorities should beryllium moving to guarantee much freight is moved by obstruction - an efficient, harmless and cleanable alternate with conscionable 1 freight bid susceptible of removing up to 129 lorries from our roads."

A government-commissioned study published successful July 2021 revealed that 58 radical were injured successful incidents involving longer lorries betwixt 2012 and 2020.

The DfT said the vehicles had been progressive successful "around 61% less idiosyncratic wounded collisions than accepted lorries".

Under the caller rules, operators volition beryllium legally required to transportation retired hazard assessments and guarantee they instrumentality due routes.

The longer lorries volition inactive person the aforesaid 44-tonne value bounds arsenic those utilizing modular trailers.

However, a spokesperson for the Road Haulage Association urged the authorities to spell further by expanding the permitted value to 48 tonnes.

"This volition beryllium progressively important erstwhile we rotation retired zero-emission trucks to compensate for the accrued value from batteries," helium said.