Government has been urged to clamp down on the movement of longer lorries through urban areas in the interests of road safety and protecting highway infrastructure.

The Local Government Technical Advisors Group (TAG) and the Campaign for Better Transport have written to the Transport Secretary expressing concerns about an ongoing trial of heavy goods vehicles measuring up to 18.55m long. 

They would like to see designated HGV routes introduced in towns and cities to reduce the risk to vulnerable road users and to protect the condition of footpaths and property.

They say that the vehicles – which are up to 2m longer than current UK standards – have a greater tail swing and larger blind spots. Many urban roads, they add, are not able to accommodate them safely and place other road users at risk should a lorry mount a kerb or enter adjacent lanes or footways.

TAG national transport committee secretary Martin Sachs said: “We need to ensure that there are no increased risks to the safety of other road users and that roadside property and highway infrastructure are protected. Costs of these measures must be borne by industry, which will benefit from the introduction of longer trailers.”

A Campaign for Better Transport spokesman added: “It is imperative that longer HGVs are restricted to designated local authority roads agreed by the local authority and the operator.”

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