Draft Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Gill Furniss Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd May 2023 General Committees

[Gill Furniss (Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairpersonship, Mr Dowd. Decarbonising our roads is a vital part of meeting our net zero obligations. As our haulage sector moves towards electric and alternatively fuelled HGVs, it is right that regulations adapt to the heavier powertrains these vehicles carry. I note that the consultation outcome was largely in favour of that approach, but there are a few points that I hope the Minister can address.

First, these extra weight allowances will inevitably put extra pressure on the condition of our already crumbling roads. The latest annual local authority road maintenance survey shows a drop in the number of roads in a good state of repair, fuelled by real-terms cuts in highway maintenance budgets. With that in mind, what assurances can the Minister offer that this extra weight on our roads will not lead to yet more misery for motorists?

Industry leaders are warning that car parks and bridges could face collapse due to the added weight of electric vehicles, including HGVs. That is a growing concern for the public, so will the Minister outline what his Department is doing to ensure that our car parks and bridges remain safe?

I want to ensure that, with bigger size, there is more charging. Will the Minister let me know exactly what the programme is to accelerate the roll-out of the charging stations that people will rely on throughout their journey?

To conclude, we must not miss this opportunity to decarbonise our transport sector and encourage a switch to zero-emission vehicles. The Labour party will therefore not oppose these regulations.