Boston Manor Viaduct now open to all.

Since April the Boston Manor Viaduct has been closed to ALL vehicles over 7.5 tonnes maximum gross weight. All buses, coaches and lorries were banned from using the M4 motorway between junctions 3 and 2 eastbound and junctions 1 and 3 westbound. This  involved a time consuming diversion along the A312 and A4 adding over 20 minutes to your journey time in each direction.

For all our government claims to promote the use of public transport, this weight restriction became a class divide with Johnny big pockets thundering along the motorway in his car towards London, whilst the plebs crawled along the A4 in their buses and coaches. For a motorway to have a 7.5 tonne weight restriction is obscene. For the repair work to take over 6 months shows our government is not bothered about people travelling on public transport or the increased costs put on operators.

Was this 7.5 tonne weight restriction really necessary? I doubt it because ALL official Olympic Games Vehicles were allowed to ignore this restriction and their buses and coaches used the M4 motorway without diversion, whether they had passengers or were empty.

Think about the total weight of all those cars thundering over the Boston Manor Viaduct. Some of these  Chelsea Tractors are running around 2 tonne, so 9 of these gas guzzling monsters would equal 1 coach. Safety is important but was the motorway in such a risk of collapse that the odd coach could bring it down but the constant stream of private cars were not at risk?

I think the decision to impose the 7.5 tonne weight limit was political. If the government banned all vehicles from the motorway, then the protest would be huge and something would be done. By imposing a 7.5 tonne weight limit, passenger and haulage contractors did not dare challenge the restriction in case VOSA come down heavy on vehicle maintenance and drivers hours. Any company challenging this weight restriction would be subject to extra inspections by VOSA in a revenge attack ordered by the politicians.

If this closure of a motorway to vehicles over 7.5 tonne was in France, I am sure protests would have been made, with the region's roads in gridlock until the restriction was removed. But the British suffer from apathy and simply do not challenge a silly restriction.