Repeated foreign lorry sat-nav mishaps have led to Wiltshire villagers demanding that an HGV ban be slapped on narrow country roads. Wiltshire County Council will apply to the transport secretary for permission to impose signs barring HGVs from narrow lanes around the village of Colerne after numerous Continental drivers ended up on them by following their sat-navs.
According to Pete Lucas, owner of Pete Lucas Pallets, North Wraxall,
Continental lorries are detouring through country roads in order to cut the distance to and from pallet company Medrano UK in Swindon by avoiding trunk roads from Junction 18 of the M4.
Lucas claims that in addition to the disruption the lorries are causing to the village lanes, the short cuts are leading to foreign drivers accidentally ending up at his firm instead of Medrano.
Councillor Phil Chamberlain says: "It has really got quite out of hand. They're not just clogging up the main roads they are coming right into the village itself."
Locals are concerned about potential accidents. In a recent case, three Dutch lorries all reversed at the same time near a primary school in the area.
If the transport secretary approves, the council intends to put up advisory signs reading "route unsuitable for HGVs" and featuring an image of a lorry with a red bar cutting through it.
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