BRAKES ARE ON THE RIGS

IT comes as no surprise that truckies are unhappy with new laws that will restrict them to the two left lanes on the M1.

The Bulletin predicted in April, when the laws were announced as part of a transport strategy for the Commonwealth Games, that freight companies would be upset about the impact on schedules and costs.

We also warned there would be potential for some drivers of big rigs to tailgate slow vehicles in the left lanes to bully them out of the way.

Given the M1 is the only major transport corridor (the railway cannot shift adequate numbers of passengers yet and does not carry freight), this is a difficult problem.

As we have reported, there are strong arguments on both sides.

Truckies are concerned about congestion in the left lanes, making it dangerous for cars to move across to the exits.

One called for action to be taken against motorists who drive 20km/h under the limit, crawl on to the M1 when merging and then insist on sitting in the middle lanes.

Such concerns are valid. Let’s face it – there are people who lack the experience or confidence for motorway driving and simply should not be on the road. While police are monitoring the truckies, they will also have to deal with snail-pace motorists, but those drivers are a small minority.

The M1 is already carrying too much traffic. The risks of accidents blocking the lanes during the Games are high so action to reduce those risks has to be taken.

Truckies will just have to cop it and, because traffic volumes are increasing with the growing population, they will have to accept that even after the Games, the M1 restrictions are here to stay.