Taking the weight off the towns' roads
The council’s road safety team has been working with companies such as Amazon, Eddie Stobart, Tesco, and Asda to educate their drivers about where the ban will be enforced.
The council is continuing to identify companies who use roads in the area and will work with them to ensure compliance with the regulations.
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Hide AdThe HGV ban follows the opening of the Woodside Link and A5-M1 Link roads, two major pieces of infrastructure which will help take heavy traffic away from Dunstable and Houghton Regis town centres and regenerate the area.
But the process to implement the ban won’t be complete until the end of the summer, as there are over 500 signs that need to be changed and installed now that the new bypass roads are open.
Cllr Nigel Young, Central Bedfordshire Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “Our highways team is working really hard with local companies to inform and educate them on the weight limit ban. We are pleased with progress and the collaboration we’ve received from local companies.
“Overall, these processes will take a few months to implement, but afterwards the local towns and villages should experience lighter traffic, and we can start improving Dunstable’s high street as part of a wider regeneration project that will help restore its market town charm.”
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Hide AdWhen the new weight limit restrictions are in place, the council will increase enforcement activity to ensure that HGV drivers use the correct new road routes. This will include the use of additional Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and extra enforcement officers to help apply the ban.
For more information on the area-wide weight limits project, including timescales and FAQs visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/weightlimits