Locals protest against high numbers of HGVs using Mont Blanc tunnel
More than 400 protestors from various environmental associations reunited on Thursday evening outside the access to the Mont Blanc tunnel in protest to the 3000 – 4000 trucks which pass daily through the Mont Blanc tunnel since the closure of the Frejus tunnel after a serious fire in June 2005.
Protesters were joined by the President of the local council Jean-Jack Queyranne and locals from the Mont Blanc area. Jean-Jack called for necessary changes to be made to the transport standards. As residents of the Mont Blanc valley and Frejus know, there is a risk of further accidents furthermore, if alternative rail transportation is not put in place then individuals can expect further difficulties in pollution levels and congestion in the valley
Jean-Jack stated that at present, only 13% of freight in France is currently transported by rail, compared to 63% in Switzerland !
Jean-Pierre Coméliau, president of the Association for the Respect of the Mont Blanc site and Mont Blanc NGOs, (ARSMB) informed the people that these great words and catastrophes are accumulating. Solutions exist however, a tax for heavy goods vehicles, using the rail networks to their maximum capacity and developing a combined effective transport system now, not in 20 years!
Protestors took up a little more than a kilometre of the dual carriage way from Servoz to the Vigi roundabout which would normally have been occupied by the heavy goods and other road using vehicles at that time.
