The Road Haulage Association (RHA) is calling upon the Government to streamline bureaucratic procedures for hauliers utilizing longer semi-trailers (LSTs) in order to encourage their wider adoption.
The introduction of new administrative requirements has rendered the use of LSTs unfeasible for numerous RHA members. These operators are now confronted with the onerous task of conducting individual risk assessments for each route they intend to take. In addition, drivers are obliged to maintain copies of these risk assessments and route plans for two years.
One of the LSTs used during the 12 year trial
These measures are set to take effect on November 30th, despite their absence as prerequisites during the 12-year LST trial period. Initially, the RHA had welcomed the Department for Transport’s announcement permitting LSTs on our roads starting from May 31st. However, certain RHA members have already ceased using LSTs due to the inefficiencies and increased costs resulting from these processes.
Richard Smith, Managing Director of the RHA, emphasized, “Safety is our number one priority and we’ve had years of rigorous trials which have proven that LSTs are safe to be on our roads.
“Their increased capacities can mean fewer journeys and less congestion on our roads. This is good for the environment, so it makes no sense to saddle operators with huge and costly administrative burdens that will put them off using them.
“This could be a missed opportunity to drive down emissions and reduce the cost of moving goods.”
He further stated that the RHA is actively collaborating with its members to propose practical solutions to the government and advocated for a revision of the guidance to alleviate the burdensome administrative requirements.
