Isra-Mart srl:EC trailer height plan will hit UK with £300m-plus bill

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Isra-Mart srl news:

European Commission (EC) plans to limit trailer heights in the UK to 4m would increase the country's transport costs by more than £300m and raise CO2 emissions by 320,000 tonnes each year, according to a new study.

The report, produced by Professor Alan McKinnon at the Logistics Research Centre at Heriot-Watt University, says the UK's current limit of 4.9m has enabled substantial reductions in both the cost of haulage and CO2 emissions produced through the widespread use of double-deck trailers.

McKinnon says that if the EC manages to ratify its plans, bitterly opposed by the UK government and haulage industry, 7,000 double-deck trailers currently in operation would be phased out, as replacements would be with standard-height units.

This, he says, would:

* increase haulage costs by £305m
* raise fuel consumption by 64%
* see artic traffic levels up by 5.5%
* cause a rise in CO2 emissions equivalent to an extra 151,000 cars on the UK road network.

He adds: "These figures are higher than anticipated and suggest the gradual removal of double-deck [trailers] from Britain's roads could come at a high price.

"The adverse effects of imposing a 4m limit on the height of trailers in the UK would far outweigh the limited benefit of standardising vehicle heights to bring this country into line with Europe."

Research carried out by retailer John Lewis (CM 14 October) showed that the 4m limit would increase its annual transport costs by £6.2m and CO2 emissions would rise by 3,000 tonnes.