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Road Safety Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 26:"After Clause 59, insert the following new clause—" ““PROOF NECESSARY TO DRIVE HGV ON RESTRICTED ROAD    After section 19 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) (prohibition of parking of HGV’s on verges, central reservations and footways) insert— ““19A   PROOF NECESSARY TO DRIVE HGV ON RESTRICTED ROAD    A person shall not drive a heavy commercial vehicle (as defined in section 20 of this Act) on a restricted road (as defined in section 82 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984) unless he has documentary proof of his need to drive on that road.”””” The noble Lord said: My Lords, I believe that this is the seventh day of debate on the Bill and I do not propose to prolong the discussion. However, I feel strongly about the subject of Amendment No. 26. The driver of a lorry travelling on a restricted road should produce proof of why he should be there rather than the police having to follow him all the way along the restricted road to prosecute him after seeing that he has not stopped. It is an awful waste of police time and means that many restrictions are not enforced. At this stage I simply ask the Minister to seriously think about the waste of police time, the ineffectiveness of the present regulations and the ease with which it could be made possible for a constable to stop a lorry driver on a restricted road and ask him for the weigh bill to show that he is delivering to or collecting from premises on the relevant road. It is a very simple transaction and would not involve much alteration to the law. I trust that the Minister will commend the measure to his colleagues in another place. It is a simple amendment which I know would be welcomed by police forces. It would offer to many people living along restricted roads protection from the unwanted passage of lorries. I shall listen to what the Minister says, but I shall not press the amendment. I beg to move.