Parksy
Moderator
I would appreciate it if all forum members were to avoid personal comments about each other and just stick to generalities when replying to topics
Thanks
Thanks
After two polite requests two forum members continued to exchange arguments that contained personal insults.
Both members are therefore suspended.
Both members are therefore suspended.
Good morning Mr Modderators on a LIGHTER NOTE i propose suspending the "anti bailey posse" on the buyers guide section, i would take it as a personal favours many thanks luke
p.s ill understand if ye dont in the intrests of political correctness i suppose after all they are entitled to their opinion.
p.s ill understand if ye dont in the intrests of political correctness i suppose after all they are entitled to their opinion.
Quote ...
Soozeeg
14 Apr 2008 08:25 AM Well, there's a surprise LB - you must have escaped by the skin of your teeth!!
I kept out of this topic Sooze, too controversial for the likes of me (pats self on head for being good).
All I know about lorries is theres far too many of them clogging up the roads and it's about time we followed our continental cousins and put more of it back on the rails :O)
France freight for example has 40% road, 40% rail & 20% waterways. Ours is more like 2% rail & 98% road :O(
If there was legislation from the E.U. regarding moving more to rail for the first time in my life I would say that the E.U. was doing something constructive for this country ;O)
Soozeeg
14 Apr 2008 08:25 AM Well, there's a surprise LB - you must have escaped by the skin of your teeth!!
I kept out of this topic Sooze, too controversial for the likes of me (pats self on head for being good).
All I know about lorries is theres far too many of them clogging up the roads and it's about time we followed our continental cousins and put more of it back on the rails :O)
France freight for example has 40% road, 40% rail & 20% waterways. Ours is more like 2% rail & 98% road :O(
If there was legislation from the E.U. regarding moving more to rail for the first time in my life I would say that the E.U. was doing something constructive for this country ;O)
Quote ...
Chrisbee
14 Apr 2008 02:38 PM Hi LB
You're lucky having a railhead at the rear of your local Tescos!
Chrisbee
What does a railhead at the back of Tesco's have to do with it?
Does every French hypermarket have a railhead? Does every Spanish farm have a railhead to load their strawberries so they can get their produce to the U.K.
To save you researching the answer is no.
The answer is they have a better co-ordinated transport system on the continent than we do. They also don't have a Road Transport lobby that has politicians in their pockets.
To see how it's done just go and stand on a French railway station, Avignon for example, and watch. You don't need brains, you will see straight away how the produce is moved by road/rail.
Chrisbee
14 Apr 2008 02:38 PM Hi LB
You're lucky having a railhead at the rear of your local Tescos!
Chrisbee
What does a railhead at the back of Tesco's have to do with it?
Does every French hypermarket have a railhead? Does every Spanish farm have a railhead to load their strawberries so they can get their produce to the U.K.
To save you researching the answer is no.
The answer is they have a better co-ordinated transport system on the continent than we do. They also don't have a Road Transport lobby that has politicians in their pockets.
To see how it's done just go and stand on a French railway station, Avignon for example, and watch. You don't need brains, you will see straight away how the produce is moved by road/rail.
Well, that's me put in my place. Sorry my Lord.
To get back to the original post I don't think it is just lack of training of foreign drivers (or forged/bought licences) that is the problem. Tired drivers who flout tachograph regulations and thereby lose concentration are a major worry, as are overloaded and badly maintained trucks. When and if caught the drivers know they are unlikely to be fined and if indeed they do get a ticket they just ignore it. The "Britdisc" might go some way towards solving this problem if it was adopted, as would a bail bond. I fail to see why this goverment finds it difficult to implement these.
Without wishing to get political www.conservativekent.com has an on line petition calling for the introduction of a "Britdisc". As a Kent council tax payer paying for the upkeep of the M20 I would urge people to sign, regardless of their political leaning.
Chrisbee
these foriegn drivers should be stopped at the ports and a british driver should swap trailers and carry on with this side of the journey and visa /versa it could save a lot of accidents on the roads either side of the border thats jus my thought as a lorry driver.
well lord b
what a fantasic idea about putting more freight onto rail,problem is by doing that there are going to be twice as many trucks on the road as there is now...one to take the goods to the railhead and one to take the goods to the destination from the railhead that the train stops at
unless there is a huge and i mean huge investment in the railway network putting more freight onto rail is not going to work.at the moment the uk rail network is for passengers and by having more freight onto rail there would be more delays then what there is now
at the present moment it is still faster and more cost effective to send goods by road
hgv dave
what a fantasic idea about putting more freight onto rail,problem is by doing that there are going to be twice as many trucks on the road as there is now...one to take the goods to the railhead and one to take the goods to the destination from the railhead that the train stops at
unless there is a huge and i mean huge investment in the railway network putting more freight onto rail is not going to work.at the moment the uk rail network is for passengers and by having more freight onto rail there would be more delays then what there is now
at the present moment it is still faster and more cost effective to send goods by road
hgv dave
Regarding Robert's suggestion that foreign trucks should swap trailers coming into the UK, this would only make sense if it works both ways. However, as UK trailers are not registered and licensed and therefore have no number plate of their own, they cannot be pulled by foreign trucks. I have run into the same problem myself. Some time ago, I wanted to rent a trailer in the UK to tow behind my foreign (German) registered towcar but there is no way I can do it legally because it would not be covered by insurance.
Having said that, the blind spot issue does not apply to trucks registered in the EU after the 26. January 2007 and there is a serious recommendation by all 25 EU ministers of transport to retrofit blind spot mirrors to vehicles registered before that date. Theoretically, the UK could make fitment of these mirrors a condition to entering the country. That would make a lot more sense than preventing me from legally entering the UK with my 2.5m wide caravan.
Having said that, the blind spot issue does not apply to trucks registered in the EU after the 26. January 2007 and there is a serious recommendation by all 25 EU ministers of transport to retrofit blind spot mirrors to vehicles registered before that date. Theoretically, the UK could make fitment of these mirrors a condition to entering the country. That would make a lot more sense than preventing me from legally entering the UK with my 2.5m wide caravan.
Hi Lutz
Correct me if I am wrong but you say you are not allowed in the UK with your 2.5m wide caravan.
I find this hard to believe. I thought all member states had to allow a vehicle that is legal in its own country of regestration, into any other member state.
The reason I question this is due to the fact that some one wrote into one of the mags stating that Spanish police were stoping UK caravans because they did not have the illuminated yellow triangle on the roof of the caravan. The answer given was the one I stated above, so if your caravan is legal in Germany it has got to be accepted as legal here.
Correct me if I am wrong but you say you are not allowed in the UK with your 2.5m wide caravan.
I find this hard to believe. I thought all member states had to allow a vehicle that is legal in its own country of regestration, into any other member state.
The reason I question this is due to the fact that some one wrote into one of the mags stating that Spanish police were stoping UK caravans because they did not have the illuminated yellow triangle on the roof of the caravan. The answer given was the one I stated above, so if your caravan is legal in Germany it has got to be accepted as legal here.
Quote ...
Soozeeg
14 Apr 2008 08:25 AM Well, there's a surprise LB - you must have escaped by the skin of your teeth!!
I kept out of this topic Sooze, too controversial for the likes of me (pats self on head for being good).
All I know about lorries is theres far too many of them clogging up the roads and it's about time we followed our continental cousins and put more of it back on the rails :O)
France freight for example has 40% road, 40% rail & 20% waterways. Ours is more like 2% rail & 98% road :O(
If there was legislation from the E.U. regarding moving more to rail for the first time in my life I would say that the E.U. was doing something constructive for this country ;O)
There is a company in Studley, Warwickshire that is doing very nicely thank you shifting rail stock (locos & carridges) by road as it is cheaper than using the rail system.
Explain that one to me
Soozeeg
14 Apr 2008 08:25 AM Well, there's a surprise LB - you must have escaped by the skin of your teeth!!
I kept out of this topic Sooze, too controversial for the likes of me (pats self on head for being good).
All I know about lorries is theres far too many of them clogging up the roads and it's about time we followed our continental cousins and put more of it back on the rails :O)
France freight for example has 40% road, 40% rail & 20% waterways. Ours is more like 2% rail & 98% road :O(
If there was legislation from the E.U. regarding moving more to rail for the first time in my life I would say that the E.U. was doing something constructive for this country ;O)
There is a company in Studley, Warwickshire that is doing very nicely thank you shifting rail stock (locos & carridges) by road as it is cheaper than using the rail system.
Explain that one to me
I also found it hard to believe, but apparently countries can enforce national legislation if they have special reasons for doing so due to local conditions (otherwise you wouldn't need a high-vis vest for France, for example). I contacted the DOT and they wrote to me confirming that the width restriction in the UK is one of those 'special circumstances'. Frankly, I find it quite absurd and I am going to ignore it. If the odd UK 2.5m wide caravan can get by without being caught, I think my chances are pretty good, too.
In view of the fact that about 40% of all caravans over here are 2.5m wide, it would be a sustantial restriction on the tourism industry, if enforced.
BBC local news for the southeast has been running an item on their 6.30pm program about how it is possible to buy a British LGV (HGV) licence on the internet for
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