‘It can’t go on - the road’s wearing out’
Villagers are up in arms as foreign lorries blight their roads. Leeds resident Malcolm Gallihawk says HGVs are tearing up tarmac and blocking traffic. Mr Gallihawk, who has lived on Upper Street for 30 years, said: “At weekends it’s chocka-block with foreign lorries. It’s disruptive, they go across the pavement very dangerously so it affects pedestrians.
“Leeds is not big enough for big traffic. The road is wearing out. The council come in and resurface areas. It’s resurfaced and within days lorries will bring it up again. It can’t go on” Last week Mr Gallihawk was joined by other Leeds campaigners to catch lorries using the B2163, which runs through the village, as a rat-run.
The group took action on Tuesday by taking details of offenders and keeping a camera running to catch them in the act.
Lorry drivers travelling on country roads could be fined as part of a crackdown planned by Kent County Council (KCC).
The scheme, to be trialled south of Maidstone, will see a ban on HGVs in designated rural areas to stop them using unsuitable routes and adding to congestion, pollution and noise. But concerns have been raised over the effectiveness of the enforcement measures, which will primarily target foreign lorry drivers who are thought to be more likely to ignore signs and rely on sat navs.
Cllr Rory Love (Con) told a meeting of KCC’s environment and transport committee last week: “I will reserve my judgement until I see this happen. “How many foreign lorry drivers were exceeding speed limits on the M20 during Operation Brock and went unpunished?” KCC officers said measures were in place to make it work, such as the hiring of enforcement officers and the use of high