New rules to give foreign hauliers more freedom
Date: 10 April 2008
Foreign freight haulage drivers could have a lot more freedom to compete with UK hauliers under a new European plan, the Times reports.
This is in spite of the fact that haulage lorry drivers from overseas are more likely, per mile, to be involved in crashes than their British counterparts.
An insurance industry study showed that freight trucks from countries including Greece and Slovakia are twice as likely to fail vehicle safety inspections.
The European plan would allow foreign goods lorries to carry out three additional haulage trips in the UK within a week of bringing goods across the Channel. Supermarkets are among the companies that could use these trucks for haulage deliveries.
European transport ministers are supporting the plan, which could be made formal in June.
The Freight Transport Association said: "Foreign lorries will be able to use these new rules to carry out supermarket deliveries to local towns. It will mean a lot more foreign lorry trips on our roads even though they pose more risk to other drivers."
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