River Bridge - Weight Restrictions

Sun 5 Nov 2017, 21:34

The information needs to be sent to trading standards who the follow up. The Town Council and OCC bridges department are fully aware, although the bridge engineer has recently retired from OCC . Automated reply from the personal e mail address , no reply to the bridges @ address I was provided with bridges@oxfordshire.gov.uk Martin Brain was the original contact. Someone with links to the powere that be would be best to take this forward

Sat 4 Nov 2017, 18:43

I recently spotted an Adstock Haulage grain lorry on the bridge, so emailed the MD and got an apology - excuse "new driver". Apology copied to Police, Parish Council and our District Councillor.

Thu 2 Nov 2017, 22:27 (last edited on Fri 3 Nov 2017, 06:51)

2 years on - I understand that there have been 27 susscessful prosecutions recorded as a result of local residents reporting the vehicles to trading standards / local authorities . That would provide enough money to provide a zebra crossing on the slade . How many more crossings over the bridge have got away with it - hundreds I would suggest . The amount of money raised would pay for a lot of possible traffic calming measures . Or for the repairs to the unknown structural damage to the bridge

Mon 14 Dec 2015, 12:18

In my time being the local PCSO I have also seen large lorries going down Dyers Hill or coming up the other way and try to negotiate the turning onto Thames Street.
After reading this I presented it to our Traffic Management Department who showed me the weight restriction order. I'll keep it short and to the point. It appears large lorries are allowed access into or out of Charlbury over the bridge for delivery purposes, unloading and loading in Charlbury.
It would make sense that the lorries should use other ways into Charlbury rather than over the bridge however i'm sure a lot of drivers are guided by sat-navs and we all know sat-navs aim to get the driver to the destination as qucick as possible.
My suggestion is to keep making notes of number plates or if possible take photos of lorries coming over the bridge and forwarding them to Trading Standards and let them investigate whether or not the lorries had a genuine reason to go into Charlbury.

Tue 8 Dec 2015, 17:58

Another 2 articulated HGV crossing the bridge as I walked up from the station at 5 pm tonight

Tue 8 Dec 2015, 06:51

www.bicesteradvertiser.net/news/14129800.Lorry_drivers_fined_hundreds_of_pounds_for_breaching_weight_restrictions_on_Oxfordshire_roads/

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 19:00

OCC won't care, they will just stick a traffic warden in the Town all day & slap tickets on anything they can!

Mon 16 Nov 2015, 18:02

But what is the cost of the Bridge being out of action going to be ? , just imagine the chaos of the parking for the station users in Town when it gets closed by the Bridge engineer from OCC .

Mon 16 Nov 2015, 16:37

Soft targets, the powers that be frefer them!

Sun 15 Nov 2015, 21:41

Noted in the News Section - the report from the Town Council asking to report HGV s going over the bridge , why don't the speed camera boys park in a different revenue making lay-by on Forest road ,rather than the usual spot on the Slade and take £ 250.00 a time from the Artic operators , usually at the end of the month when they need to get the statistics up , rather than poor old Mrs blogs doing 34 mph to get up the hill .

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 21:32

Hi Mark, yes there are fines & possible points applied to driving licence' ref weight limit restrictions, the Haulier can also accrue minus points that can affect his Operators Licence or possible future renewals of said licence! Having said that, from a drivers point of view I will point out 1 thing, due to now being the wrong side of 50, I am now classed in the Haulage world as 'Old School', I have spent over 30 yrs driving HGVs all over the UK/Europe, including during that time working for 1 Italian & 2 Dutch firms driving Left-hand drives all over Europe, I have never used a Sat-nav, I use a Map/Common sense/experience & the tongue in my head to sort my way round, I would never pretend to have been an Angel during all that time, & now drive Dangerous Goods Tankers for a Company that runs 100% legal. But most lorry drivers now use Sat-navs, a lot have no choice & have to in order to follow pre-planned routes set down by their employer, but when you see the weight limit signs applying to Charlbury, which roads do they apply to in/out of the Town? Imagine you are a driver from Liverpool/Newcastle/Glasgow/Exeter etc, how detailed is his knowledge of the roads around Charlbury? It's just another Town/Road, you can get HGV Sat-navs, but they are not perfect, & with vehicles of that size once you are committed to some roads, it doesn't matter what the signs say, you are going that way!!! As for cameras on the Bridge out of Charlbury, the nearest ones I know are on the A415 Witney-Abingdon by The Rose Revived Pub, this is a very busy road used for years by HGVs, & a very tempting short-cut, so no doubt it was felt by the Council the funding for these cameras was worth it (no idea how much they are, but no doubt they're not cheap!), but the volume of Heavy traffic through Charlbury would probably not warrant the expense in the Councils eyes, in fact I have probably got more chance of a night of passion with Catherine Zeta-Jones than cameras appearing there!!!

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 18:07

As the restrictions are applicable , how is this situation now best managed . Do the Town Council take the next step, or do they need to informed in writing ? , is it WODC , and / or The highways Department of OCC ?
What is the level of fine that can be imposed , as a simple camera will be able to record the movements, link the information to DVLA and provide the incentive to stop this situation. We all know the problems of Large vehicles and narrow roads , and the knock on effect this has. The pavement is not wide enough as it is over the river and even worse over the railway bridge . These are not vehicle movements from any activity to the industrial area, but a short cut to other locations over the bridge. Any ideas ?

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 17:02

Perhaps a more graphic sign like this i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/07/27/article-0-143E246A000005DC-235_964x612.jpg

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 13:55 (last edited on Thu 12 Nov 2015, 16:44)

My kids think it means only slim people allowed in Charlbury!!! The actual 'weight restrictions' sign on the bridge as you come into Charlbury, that is.

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 07:50

John - I live on the Enstone crossroads see the sign every day and have never understood what information the sign is trying to impart.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 17:50

One sign is confusing. At the crossroads coming uphilll from Nineacres there is a yellow signs that says it's the end of the (HGV) diversion, and the same sign points along Enstone Road for Charlbury Station! Think about it....HGV reaches the end of diversion having diverted via Chadlington, then is encouraged to drive past the Coop to turn right then left down Dyer's Hill...!!

Tue 10 Nov 2015, 10:01

There are big 7.5T weight limit signs on all the entrances to Charlbury town centre, plus extra 'Weak Bridge' ones on the approaches to the bridge, and yellow diversion signs all around the town. I suspect we're past the point where adding more signs will make any difference (except for cluttering the town) - some drivers simply appear to think they're above the law, sadly!

The link to the Trading Standards reporting form is here - www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/weight-restriction-orders .

Mon 9 Nov 2015, 22:42

Today I saw a large green lorry approaching Market Street as I was waiting to turn right up Jeffs Terrace.I stopped alongside to speak to the driver to no avail. He could only be going down Dyers Hill. His number plate was very dirty so I was unable to see it. Are there very clear signs No ENTRY TO HGV's at this point?

Sat 7 Nov 2015, 12:39

The restrictions do still apply. If you see an HGV that shouldn't be there, take a photo and report it to Oxfordshire Trading Standards- they have an online form for this.

Sat 7 Nov 2015, 11:20

Do the restrictions still apply , as I have seen a large number of HGV and articulated lorries on Dyers Hill causing havoc over the past two weeks. Have works been undertaken to the bridge ?