Brussels, 06/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Railways breathed a sigh of relief when the EU Transport Council decided not to open all the doors for mega-lorries in its first reading of the draft EU directive on the weight and dimensions of lorries.
The transition period for the new lorry design is not, however, to the liking of the European Road Safety Council, although manufacturers are delighted.
The agreement in principle by the EU28 transport ministers on draft EU Directive 96/53/EC at the 5 June Transport Council has received a mixed response (see EUROPE 11095).
Road transport association IRU welcomed the rules recommended by the Council of Ministers but pointed out that the industry needs to be able to meet its environmental obligations and boost road safety.
The rail sector, represented by CER expressed relief that the ministers have decided to remove all references to mega-lorries, and to stick with the European Commission's interpretation of current rules (that cross-border transport is only allowed between two consenting countries). Railways feared the domino effect of freeing up cross-border traffic for mega-lorries impacting badly on rail freight. The worst case scenario described by CER saw 35% of rail freight being lost to road transport.
The changes brought by revision of the directive only cover lorry design, to make them safer and less environmentally-damaging. The ministers did not meet the expectations of the most vulnerable road users. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) regrets that a transition period had been introduced for updating lorry driver cabins to give drivers greater visibility and to absorb shocks better (five years after the new rules come into force, in other words eight years in total). Antonio Avenoso, ETSC Executive Director, argued in a press release that the public wants safer lorries as soon as possible.
The transition period is good news for lorry manufacturers. In a press release, their European association, ACEA, says that industry needs enough time to adjust to the complexity and costs of any re-design of the front of lorry cabins. (MD)