Soon “mega-trucks” on French roads?
A draft European directive could open the door to the circulation of these heavy goods vehicles with two or three trailers, which we already see on Scandinavian roads.
Adopted by the Transport Committee of the European Parliament - despite the opposition of the three French elected officials who sit there -, it must be examined in plenary session on March 12.
Today, trucks circulating in France cannot measure more than 18.75 meters in length and weigh more than 44 tonnes.
Each EU member state is free to set its own rules, but for heavy goods vehicles to be able to leave the country, a bilateral agreement with the neighbor is required if the dimensions of the vehicle exceed the thresholds set at community level (18.75 meters and 40 tonnes).
The new directive wants to adapt these thresholds to facilitate the decarbonization of trucks, taking into account in particular the weight of the batteries, and thus generalize the maximum weight to 44 tonnes.
False argument, retorts the environmentalist president of the Transport Committee, the Frenchwoman Karima Delli, who voted (unsuccessfully) against the project:
“
We don't have electric trucks today.
This will just open Pandora's box for diesel trucks
,
which may be heavier.
Above all, this directive would open the door to the circulation of the famous “mega-trucks”, up to 25 meters long and weighing 60 tonnes.
This would pose
“
road safety problems, with a longer braking distance, traffic problems, problems with infrastructure that would not be adapted, not to mention the additional cost linked to greater wear and tear on the roads
”
, lists Karima. Dell.
Unfair competition for rail freight?
Under the guise of allowing more goods to be transported with a single truck, which would reduce CO2 emissions, the measure would in fact, according to its detractors, directly compete with rail freight.
“
The directive strongly compromises the development of rail freight and combined rail-road transport, the most virtuous (for the environment) ,
”
denounced the 4F alliance, which brings together French professionals in the sector.
And to be annoyed by this project
“
pushed by the European countries champions of social dumping, whose trucks only cross France without paying the cost of infrastructure
”
.
“
It’s absurd both for the decarbonization of transport and road safety ,
”
also denounced Dominique Riquet, Renew MEP (from the presidential majority), also a member of the Transport Committee.
“
We are creating polluting monsters
”
, insists Karima Delli, who calls on France to
“
make it clear that it does not want them
”
.
The environmentalist MEP tabled two amendments for the plenary session, to limit the weight of trucks to 40 tonnes on the one hand and to clearly prohibit those from neighboring countries from crossing the border.
Dominique Riquet also indicated that he would table amendments to oppose the text in its current version.
“
The vote is going to be close ,
”
predicts Karima Delli.