CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON THE WEIGHTS AND DIMENSIONS DIRECTIVE
On 18 February, CLECAT submitted its input to the call for evidence on the evaluation of the Directive 96/53/EC on weights and dimensions for heavy duty-vehicles. CLECAT welcomes the initiative to revise the Directive, setting standards for the maximum authorised weights and dimensions of heavy-duty vehicles used in national and international transport. This revision should contribute to a more efficient and low-emission transport system and harmonised rules for cross-border operations.
CLECAT would support amending the current 40-tonne weight limitation for border crossings (Annex 1, Article 2.2) to 44 tonnes. We would equally support an increase of the maximum weight on the entire EU road transport network, or at least along the TEN-T core and comprehensive network to 44 tonnes in all countries.
Innovative solutions are required to further improve the efficiency of all transport modes, including road transport. One possible approach is optimising the transport chain by using multimodal solutions for the transport of greater quantities of goods. CLECAT therefore would welcome the increase of the maximum weight of lorries taking part in all multimodal transport operations across the EU, including intermodal and combined transport, to 46 tonnes. Such an extension of heavier load authorisations for multimodal transport operations would serve as a non-financial incentive to promote a shift to multimodal transport and thereby support reaching the ambitions of the European Green Deal. In this regard, it is essential that a scheme for authorising heavier loads for multimodal transport should be introduced uniformly throughout all Member States. Special attention should be paid to the cross-border application of such authorisations to avoid situations in which a Member State does not accept a heavier load authorisation granted by another Member State on its territory.
CLECAT also highlights its long-standing support for longer combinations of standard vehicles (the ‘European Modular System’) with standardised modules. CLECAT believes that the wider use, including cross-border application, of EMS combinations in road freight will contribute to improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact through increased fuel efficiency and accompanying CO2 reductions. This will help operators and customers alike optimising the utilisation of trucks and trailers, road infrastructure capacity, and integration with other modes of transport such as rail, air, inland and short-sea shipping for the door-to-door total logistics solutions. The use of longer and heavier trucks would also bring more efficiency to supply chains by alleviating the structural shortage of drivers, which is expected to worsen in the coming years. Finally, CLECAT would support an extension of the scope of the directive to exceptional transport as this type of transport would benefit from harmonisation of legislation and rules.