Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what lessons have been learned from the trials that have taken place on the use of longer semi-trailers for articulated goods vehicles.

The trial is now in its fifth year and the evidence so far suggests that these vehicles are proving to be a more efficient way of moving the same volume of freight, using fewer vehicles, mainly on trunking routes. The trial has demonstrated that longer semi-trailers (LSTs) have reduced the number of journeys and vehicles on the road, saving an estimated 75-90,000 lorry journeys and 10 million km, to the end of 2015. This represents an average of 1 in 19 journeys saved compared to using regular semi-trailers. All the evidence to date indicates LSTs on the trial are operating as safely as standard length semi-trailers. The latest year of trial data is currently being processed and that the Department for Transport anticipates publishing a 2016 annual report in due course.