Australia and New Zealand road transport association Austroads has released a report that examines the impact of Performance Based Standards (PBS) 2B vehicles accessing metropolitan roads.
PBS 2B vehicles are High Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFV) with a maximum length of 30 metres, presenting opportunities to reduce freight transport costs – however their access to metropolitan roads is constrained, which limits their up-take and potential benefits, according to the report, Modelling for High Productivity Vehicles in Metropolitan Areas.
“To expand PBS 2B access on metropolitan roads it is important to understand how they affect performance in a network characterised by congested stop-start operation, constrained queue storage and turning spaces, and the presence of vulnerable road users,” Austroads said in a statement.
“A review of research identified risks in exacerbating congestion delay, crash risks to vulnerable road users and degradation of amenity. On the other hand, the benefits of PBS 2B vehicles are evident in the reduction in vehicle operating and environmental costs (i.e. emissions). The vehicles are also potentially safer compared to alternative trucks based on historical vehicle-to-vehicle crash rates.”
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