Protect our roads say Lib Dems

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 18th Oct 2007

For far too long, there has been a steady increase of Heavy Goods Vehicles using inappropriate local and country roads, damaging the surfaces, knocking down walls and eroding the kerbs.

Speaking in Slaithwaite on Sunday evening, Cllr Mrs Turner the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Colne Valley, said, "I have been approached by many constituents whose journeys have been disrupted by these lorries when they have got stuck, or have left rubble in the roads where a wall has been ruined."

Explaining why the Council appears to do so little, Nicola told her colleagues that European drivers often buy a cheap SatNav system as soon as they arrive in the UK. These systems make no distinction between a wide road and a country lane. "I have asked our Highways Department to erect large pictorial signs at the entrance to these lanes. This will make it absolutely clear to any driver that the road ahead is non-accessible.

"Believe it or not, the Ministry's advice is for all or any Local Council to contact every SatNav manufacturer to explain this problem to them so that they might produce a better model. What total nonsense!"

Highways Officers, however, have stated that the suggested sign, pictured here, cannot be used as it has not been sanctioned by the Ministry of Transport. The sign, which shows a satellite above a lorry with a red line through it, however, is being trialled in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"It seems to be really stupid that one part of the United Kingdom can erect these signs simply because there is a separate Welsh Assembly. This is pure discrimination by an uncaring and inept Labour government. If local people have a problem it is not unreasonable that they can look to their local elected representatives to resolve them. Sadly in England and Kirklees, the problem is simply ignored while our roads are allowed to get worse and worse."