Can’t live with them, can’t live without them: whither the HGV?

Lorries are being blamed for a host of problems, including dirty air, road accidents, and property damage. But the goods they carry are vital for the economy. So what’s the best policy response? Rhodri Clark reports

Rhodri Clark

12 May 2017

HGVs: it’s not just in big cities such as London where their presence can be unwelcome

Initiatives such as the Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) aim to drive up standards

Rebellion is in the air in Laugharne, a small town in rural Carmarthenshire which is visited by many tourists for its castle, its associations with the poet Dylan Thomas and its picturesque streets. Residents say that lorries have become “substantially larger” and are damaging their properties. The community association is campaigning for “inappropriately sized” lorries to be banned from the A4066 through the town but has been told that highways officers have no powers...