Draft Freight Strategy Consultation

6.0 Managing road freight movement

There are various measures the Council can use to manage the movement of large goods vehicles in Central Bedfordshire. The overall aim of any measures implemented should be to encourage large goods vehicle drivers to use the most suitable routes to and from their destination, whilst minimising the negative impacts freight movements can have on local communities as far as is reasonably practical.

6.1 Designated Freight Route Network (DFRN)

The Designated Freight Route Network (DFRN) is an identified network of the most appropriate roads to support the safe and efficient movement of freight in Central Bedfordshire. The DFRN is made up of the primary route network plus secondary routes, including A and B class roads. The DFRN has been developed to highlight the most appropriate routes between key freight generators and attractors whilst minimising the negative impact freight movements have on local communities. Large goods vehicle drivers should use roads which are part of the DFRN for most of their journey. In some cases, the final leg of their journey may involve leaving the DFRN to reach their destination.

• Measures that restrict or prevent the movement of freight will not be implemented on the DFRN.
• Changes to the DFRN may be considered as part of any major upgrade to the road network, which results in a more suitable and direct routing of freight traffic becoming available.

A plan showing the roads that make up the DFRN can be found in appendix 4.

6.1.1 Lorry route signs

To highlight the Designated Freight Route Network (DFRN), direction signs aimed at large goods vehicles can be used to sign a specific route. This could include signing the most suitable route to an industrial area when leaving the DFRN or to sign a key destination along the DFRN, for example the M1. The latter will only be required when there are no existing advanced direction or direction signs aimed at all traffic that portrays the same information. The aim of any such signs should be to enable goods vehicles to find the way to their destination using the most suitable route available, whilst balancing the overall aim to reduce sign clutter.

6.2 Weight limits

The Designated Freight Route Network is supported by a series of signed weight limits.

6.2.1 Environmental weight limits

An environmental weight limit is where a legal order is introduced to prevent large goods vehicles from using a specific road or area of roads known as a zone as a through route, and to reinforce use of the Designated Freight Route Network. A weight limit is usually implemented for environmental reasons, when a more suitable road designed to a higher standard is available that will take large goods vehicles to the same destination, or to protect residents from the nuisance that large goods vehicles can cause, (including overnight parking) when there isn't a legitimate reason for them to be there.

In Central Bedfordshire there are several 7.5 tonne weight limit zones in place. A plan showing the areas covered by weight limits can be found in appendix 5.

An environmental weight limit can only be considered where a more suitable, higher standard of road exists that large goods vehicles are able to use to access the same location, without having to travel a significantly longer distance. Wherever possible, any alternative route should be part of the Designated Freight Route Network, to ensure that the road is suitable for large goods vehicles to use. In some parts of Central Bedfordshire, particularly more rural areas, it isn't possible to implement a weight limit as a more suitable alternative route to promote for large goods vehicles doesn't exist, whilst some large goods vehicles may require access to premises in the area.

6.2.2 Environmental weight limit exemptions

An environmental weight limit will usually allow access for large goods vehicles that need to legitimately load or unload within the road or zone; therefore, the extents of a weight limit need to be carefully considered.

• To prevent a goods vehicle from legitimately loading and continuing to use a route as a through route, wherever possible a weight limit may start after a large goods vehicle trip generator (providing that there is space for a large goods vehicle to turn around without causing a road safety concern).
• Where there aren't any large goods vehicle trip generators along a road or within a zone, a weight limit will usually start at a junction.

As well as large goods vehicles that require access, there are also other types of vehicles that are usually exempt from environmental weight limits. These include:

• Emergency service vehicles
• Vehicles used in connection with any building work within the zone
• Vehicles used in connection with highway maintenance
• Vehicles used for agricultural purposes
• Public service vehicles (buses)
• Vehicles used in connection with professional driver training or testing.

A 7.5 tonne weight limit is usually used when managing large goods vehicle movements from an environmental perspective; therefore, vehicles below 7.5 tonnes are also exempt from such a weight limit. The DfT have produced a guide on lorry types and weights to help distinguish ways to identify different types of goods vehicles. As a guide:

• Vehicles below 7.5 tonnes will not have more than two axles.
• All vehicles that are above 7.5 tonnes must display rear red and yellow reflective markings.

6.2.3 Signing an environmental weight limit

When planning a potential environmental weight limit, it is important to consider how the weight limit can be signed to ensure that what is intended is clear, and that large goods vehicle drivers are guided to take the most appropriate route available, whilst promoting road safety. In exceptional circumstances it may be decided that the proposed start or end location of an environmental weight limit will be difficult to sign. If it is considered that the signing that could be provided may result in large goods vehicle drivers making a last-minute decision to change direction to avoid a weight limit, this could cause a road safety concern and therefore it may be decided not to implement an environmental weight limit.

6.2.4 Enforcement of environmental weight limits

A change to government legislation has given local authorities new powers to use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to enforce certain types of moving traffic offences (MTOs); a weight limit is a type of moving traffic offence. Before this change, only the police were able to enforce moving traffic offences. Whilst Central Bedfordshire Council has been given the powers to enforce moving traffic offences, the use of MTO powers can only be considered in specific circumstances as outlined by the Department for Transport and only as a last resort. Central Bedfordshire Council have investigated the possibility of using ANPR cameras to enforce weight limits, but current technology does not support this practice. Should the technology develop in the future and the enforcement of weight limits via ANPR become cost effective and efficient, the council may reconsider their use in Central Bedfordshire.

Further information on moving traffic offences and the restrictions that Central Bedfordshire Council intend to trial ANPR enforcement for can be found here.

6.3 Structural weight, width, and height limits

A structural weight, width or height limit is implemented due to the physical highway characteristics that make a route unsuitable for large goods vehicles to use, and do not include any exemptions, including for access. This could include a weak bridge, a narrow section of carriageway where a large goods vehicle couldn't fit through or a bridge with restricted height clearance. Many of the features that warrant such a restriction are historic in nature, therefore the location of such restrictions is largely dictated by the location, and the need to protect such features from damage.

6.3.1 Enforcement of structural weight, width, and height limits

Structural weight, width and height limits are often self-enforcing, in that there is a physical restriction that prevents access for larger vehicles. These types of restriction are not moving traffic offences, Bedfordshire Police are responsible for any necessary enforcement.

6.4 Advanced warning signs

Advanced warning signs can be used to warn drivers of large goods vehicles of the presence of a weight (both environmental and structural), width, or a height limit. This may either be on the road ahead and therefore signing an alternative route, or to prevent a large goods vehicle from turning into a junction where there is such a limit. Advanced warning signs can either be standalone or incorporated into an advanced direction sign or direction sign.

6.5 Advisory signs

It is also possible to use advisory signs to warn drivers of large vehicles (such as heavy goods vehicles, buses, articulated vehicles, long or wide vehicles) that a route is unsuitable for them to use. These signs are generally used on more rural routes that don't necessarily have a specific feature that physically prevents access; however, the features of the road such as the width, bends, and lack of passing places may mean that when faced with oncoming traffic one of the vehicles would be forced to reverse for some distance, and in exceptional circumstances a large vehicle could get stuck. To reduce sign clutter, these signs would not be used on every route that is unsuitable for a large vehicle to use but would be appropriate where the council are made aware of a particular issue. This may be near to a large vehicle trip generator and on a map the route looks as if it would create a short-cut back to the Designated Freight Route Network.

6.6 Actions related to managing road freight movement

Action 1 – Managing road freight movement

1. The Council will encourage large goods vehicle drivers to continue to use the most appropriate routes as set out in the Designated Freight Route Network (DFRN) and use measures such as signs and weight limits to enhance the DFRN.
2. The Council will continue to investigate and respond to complaints relating to the routing of large goods vehicles, and where appropriate implement measures such as signs and weight limits to encourage use of the Designated Freight Route Network wherever practicable.