FORUM Lorry parking

1 LORRYPARKINGREQUIREMENTSS atisfactory Lorry parking facilities will meetthe following criteria:mMust not obstruct the highway;mMust have safe exit from and access tothe highway;mSurface must bear the axle, steering andbraking loads;mArea must be of shape and size tominimise manoeuvring to park;mMinimum nuisance or hazard to thirdparties;mMust be sufficient parking space whenrequired;mMust be on or close to arterial route (tominimise transit times, fuel consumptionand environmental impact);mProvide for drivers personal needs (foodquality/quantity, toilet, showers);mProvide for operators needs (security,fuel and basic service needs and cost);mBe economically viable for privateoperation (or subsidised from public fundsif benefits so justify ( of RTRA 1984));mProvide a segregated area for hazardousvehicles;mSimple payment method (so as to avoidexorbitant fines/clamping). parking facilities are needed to accommodatethe following and, of course, any one sitemay meet more than one of these needs:mThe home depot facilities;mFor the 45 minute stop on route;mFor the overnight stop, or other longerstop, on route;mFor vehicles delayed by route closure ( , shuttle, accident, congestion etc.)

2 Whilst most of the criteria above apply forthe first three requirements there are somedifferences in instance a longer deviation from routewill be more acceptable for an overnightstop than for a 45 minute break and morecomprehensive driver facilities (eg canteenand showers) and vehicle security will besought at the overnight parkingINTRODUCTION parkingFORUMPOSITION PAPER 10 June 2005 There are over 400,000 goods vehicles exceeding tonnesregistered in the UK and there are 103,000 operators licensed torun these types of vehicles. At any one time there are also manythousands of European registered goods vehicles running on UKroads. All operators seek to achieve high levels of * require drivers to stop at defined time intervalswhilst traffic congestion can make it impossible to reach plannedstopping points within allowed driving are limited official stopping places suitable for HGVs and thislack makes full compliance with the regulations difficult and maycontribute to the volume of theft of loads and vehicles (which averagesabout 10 per day).

3 Provision of sufficient good quality stopping places would provide manybenefits for drivers, operators, the community and the economy.* the relevant regulations are EU Drivers Hours Regulations Directive 3820/85 and the RoadTransport (Working Time) Regulations 2005. Operation Stack , which has been developedby Kent Police, is an example of control andmanagement of the rapid build up of HGVswhich arises when a major part of the date it has been operated with twophases according to the severity of the crosschannel delays. Phase1can accommodate upto 800 HGVs whilst Phase 2 canaccommodate a further 3,000 HGVs. It isunderstood that Kent police and KentHighways are now reviewing the OF ANDDEMAND FORLORRYPARKINGC urrent researchThere is no single source of information onthe location and scope of all Lorry parkingfacilities. Current availability of, and demandfor Lorry parking , across England is beingresearched on behalf of the Highways data base is being developed covering HGVflows (based on DfT and HA data), lorryparking facilities,driver needs and decisionmaking processes, operator requirements andthe interests of other about 300 HGV parking facilitiesappear on the data include 130motorway service areas (MSAs) and 170 otherfacilities.

4 Many other unofficial andunauthorised locations are used for is still in process but earlyindications suggest that:mOverall there are insufficient facilities onthe network and there are considerableregional variations;mIn the North West there are high HGVflows and good provision of parkingfacilities;mThe North West is a node for many longdistance HGV flows (eg to and fromScotland, Ireland and Wales);mIn the North East there are high HGV flowsand poor provision of parking facilities;mIn Central London and the South Eastthere is very poor provision for lorryparking despite high vehicle through flowsto and from is wide variation in demand by day ofthe week and time of database will include information on thelocation,quality, facilities provided and pricesof Lorry form an essential part of the nationallorry park and are, by definition, well sited onthe major routes. However they have severalserious drawbacks for HGV drivers:mThey are often full and utilisation variesby time of day;mSecurity cover (eg CCTV ) is limited ornon existent;mCoaches also compete for space on theheavy vehicle areas;mCatering and showering facilities may notbe PARKINGFACILITIESHGV drivers generally prefer the facilitiesoffered by dedicated truck stops but the offer at these does vary considerably.

5 Valuedfeatures include:mAppropriate value for money menus;mWashing and toilet facilities;mAvailability of fuel;mSecurity for vehicle (particularly whereloads are high value);mCloseness to route 50% of drivers arewilling to deviate 2-5 miles and a few muchfurther;mAbility to use Truck Stops as an operationalbase which is popular with some often direct drivers as to wherethey should stop for reasons of security, costor route deviation. Others leave the driver Safer parking Scheme, which isincreasingly popular for car parks, is currentlybeing developed to identify and reward bestpractice in HGV parking OFPROVIDINGPURPOSEBUILTTRUCKSTOPSThe ideal locations for truck stops are also, bydefinition, ideal locations for means that land values are construction of a large area of hardstanding with good quality services and propersecurity arrangements is also creating a well sited quality truck stoprequires substantial capital investment and itcan only be a proper commercial venture if astrong and continuing income stream can suggest that many operators anddrivers are reluctant to pay more than aminimum for using Truck Stop margins are not available and a highvolume of business will be necessary toachieve FORUM - POSITION PAPER 108 There are examples of some Truck Stopsupgrading whilst others are closing and theland use OFLANDDEVELOPMENTAROUNDHGVOPERATINGSITES Many HGV operators have long establishedbase sites where there has been little pressurefor alternative land new local residential developmentnear to existing Lorry parks/depots may meanthat continuing trucking activities give rise

6 Tocomplaints on safety or nuisance despite the trucking activity having beenlong established before the residentialdevelopment was result may be the application ofrestrictions to the operator s license - andthese restrictions can challenge the viability ofthe trucking business remaining on that affordable sites may not be local industrial development canalso drive up land values with the same effecton the trucking circumstancesare occurring more and InformationDrivers would welcome more comprehensivesignage directing them to official Truck Stopsand this particularly applies for those unfamiliarwith the area in which they are Highways Agency considers signage fromtheir network directing drivers to Truck Stopson a case by case basis whilst signage on LocalAuthority roads is determined presentation of local maps and plansshowing the location of facilities are not co-ordinated by any common standard and thereare wide and confusing variations of colours,symbols and scales amongst them.

7 Such plansare frequently not ANDUNOFFICIALSTOPPINGPLACESW hilst drivers appreciate the facilities of thebetter truck stops those who are paiduncontrolled overnight expensesmay preferto avoid the associated parking charges andtreat the expenses as an untaxed income this can easily amount to 4,000 of extraincome per year. Acceptable levels ofovernight expenses are controlled and agreedannually with the Inland out unofficial stopping places,whether in back streets, quiet roads orindustrial parks, can lead to damage tocarriageways and hard shoulders and may leadto restrictive or retaliatory measures fromlandowners and Local HGV parking can be very difficultto number of Local Authorities (including allLondon Boroughs) have instituted anovernight ban on Lorry parking on their is to prevent HGVs taking up valuablekerb space in residential areas where theycould be seen as unsightly and quite out ofscale with the surroundings.

8 It is also toprevent drivers from using their HGVs ashome to work transport a role for whichthey are not overnight bans may affect vehiclesover tonnes and extend from pm am. Introduction of a ban requires aTraffic Order and the placing of signs on eachside of every road in the area is good practice for a Local Authority toensure that suitable off street HGV parkingfacilities are available in or near areas coveredby an overnight ban but it is not a legalrequirement and it is often not practical way in which this deficiency mightbe resolved could be by studying the manyparking areas which are heavily used by carsduring daytime and empty at night. Examplesare commuter rail stations, retail car parks, outof town office sites and park & ride such sites may be able to meet theminimum criteria for over night parking forHGVs with small expenditure but others willnot have suitable access or satisfactory pavingstrength for the site owners may also be concerned thatopening up such sites, by removing heightlimiters.

9 May lead to travellers moving on regulations and high HGV flows createa major demand for Truck Stop facilities but free market land values may inhibitcommercial provision of sufficient well sitedtruck is unreasonable to enforce regulations fullywhen the means of full compliance does there is a clear need for intervention ata national and or local government level tofacilitate the provision of sufficient Truck Stopsat strategic points throughout the nationalroad FORUM - POSITION PAPER 108 RECOMMENDATIONSFROMTHEFORUMmThat Government look at this problemurgently and work with the businesssector and Local Authorities to resolve the present important study ofsupply and demand for Truck Stops andthe services which they provide iscompleted as a matter of the existence of the informationgathered by the study is publicised and theinformation made readily available ( , mobile phone downloads).mThat the business of providing andoperating Truck Stops is also studied indepth covering capital and operating costs,services required, volumes and operatingmargins available and study should becompleted the social.

10 Economic andenvironmental benefits which Truck Stopsprovide are evaluated within the sametimescale as 1and 3 a National strategy is then developedwhich will provide a network of TruckStops which enables all HGV drivers tocomply with regulations in an efficient Regional Transport policy and LTPsshall include proper recognition of theneed for Truck Stops proportionate to theHGV traffic in the should includethe identification of suitable sites nearindustrial estates and away from residentialareas which can be developed in line withthe requirements defined the policy for signing of truckstopson the strategic network should bereviewed to meet the industries criticismsof the possibility of establishing a formof nationwide site franchising through apublic/private partnership should the possibility of using someindustrial estate roads (which are littleused at night) as official overnight stoppingplaces with basic catering,security andtoilet facilities Planning Authorities should ensurethat any new industrial developmentshould have adequate good quality HGVparking facilities adjacent.