News

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called for secure lorry parks in Inverness following the death of a man.

Mechanic Kevin Mykoliw was killed after his small coach crashed into a parked trailer on the Inverness Longman Industrial Estate. The RHA says hauliers are in a 'Catch-22' situation, where lorry park shortages are forcing drivers to either park up in dangerous areas or run  the risk of breaking rules.

Regional manager for the Scottish RHA Patricia Galncey claims: "The distance to Inverness from Perth is a long one. Drivers can't break the law and keep on driving with no sleep, but with no lorry parks, where are they supposed to go?"

Currently in Inverness, there is only the Lotland Street lorry park, which holds a maximum of 20 HGVs. The space shortage is causing trucks to park in A9 lay-bys, the Tesco Extra car park and industrial estates.

The former chairman of the Inverness area transport committee, Councillor Norrie Donald, has proposed that a lorry park is built on the existing salt stores at the Longman Industrial Estate, but Les Houlker, Highland Council's technical manager, confirms this is not a council priority at the moment. According to Houlker, it is only since 37-year-old Mykoliw died on 17 October that the council  has been alerted to such severe parking problems.

Northern Constabulary are in the process of carrying out the road traffic collision investigation.