Infrastructure Minister Anna Johansson (S) now gives the Traffic Agency to review how the trucks up to 74 tonnes may be allowed on Sweden’s roads. The decision is requested by mainly forest industry who believe that heavier trucks would give both climate gains and enhanced competitiveness.
Are Trafikverket see how or if trucks of 74 tons will be allowed?
– The task is how to implement this, but with the proviso that it must not cause the load switch from train to truck. It is also about the increase should be economically justifiable. It may not be too expensive to reinforce bridges, for example, says Anna Johansson SvD Business.
When transport and transporting heavy industries has pushed the issue has the Minister had referred to that there are question marks over Climate effects. It has also been the critics’ main arguments. The skeptics to heavier lorries, mainly representatives of the rail industry, has meant that it can increase emissions because trucks then selected in front of more climate-friendly rail transport. The industry has also seen a threat to their own competitiveness.
– The whole purpose of the decision is to strengthen the entire export industry’s competitiveness as part of our goal to reduce unemployment. Finnish Transport Agency has been tasked to review the overall climate impact. This means that Trafikverket will review both if there is risk of transfer from rail to road networks and the profits available to fewer trucks can drive the same amount of goods.
Industry Organization Forest Industries previously responded to concerns about the climate that they are unfounded because most trucking used in the forest industry is so short, or made so far from rail to rail is not an option.
– Most EU countries are at significantly lower weights for their trucks, but in Sweden we have some specific conditions. We have very heavy road transport for industries that are important to Sweden. We have greater need for heavier shipments by truck than the world around us has, says Anna Johansson.
In April the government to increase the allowable weight to 64 tonnes by a regulation change. The stronger increase of up to 74 tons will not allow themselves to be just as easy, as it requires a change in the law. Finnish Transport Agency’s assessment shall be presented in November.
The reason for the short period of investigation is that Trafikverket has investigated large parts already this autumn. As the Authority concluded that parts of the national road network can be opened for vehicles with up to 74 tons gross weight of more than 100 bridges were reinforced.
These measures would cost around 2.2 billion but be economically viable in the long term, in its estimation. But the Swedish Transport Administration also said that more checks to ensure that roads and bridges are not torn down.
The possible shift from rail to truck judged to be marginal, but the new government commission sets more stringent requirements for investigating the question and the total climate impact.
Transport Administration received in the spring also commissioned to explore the possibilities to operate on existing rail networks with longer and heavier freight trains.
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