Couriers to be affected by slower motorway speed limits
Date: 29 October 2007
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Courier drivers are expected to be affected by new 40mph motorway speed limits that will be brought in at peak times.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that gantry-mounted speed cameras will enforce the new limits, which are designed to curb congestion and cut emissions.
This plan comes as the DfT looks for innovative ways to cut traffic jams, with congestion expected to rise by as much as 28 per cent by 2025. Other measures include hard shoulder running, which will let couriers and other freight haulage drivers use the hard shoulder as a regular driving lane at busy times.
Of the changes, transport secretary Ruth Kelly told the Times: "It's about trying to encourage a regular flow of traffic rather than stop-start conditions. It reduces emissions and many people would prefer it to taking land to widen a road."
Reducing the speed limit was found to result in faster average journeys because vehicles are not so likely to brake sharply, which causes traffic jams, although this argument appears to fly in the face of logic.
Other measures that the DfT may consider include introducing different speed limits for different lanes on the motorway.
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