Amey, who run the waste and recycling plant at Waterbeach and manage the county’s nine household recycling centres, are the latest company to commit to reduce noise, pollution and increase safety on Cambridgeshire’s roads.

The company have signed the Road Safety Covenant, which sets out an agreement covering what communities can expect of haulage companies and their drivers.

The document has been developed for the benefit of local parishes and community groups who were concerned by the impact of lorries and other large vehicles were having on their villages.

Amey has committed to minimising the impact of their lorries on local communities and has introduced a series of measures to ensure their drivers adhere to the covenant.

Cllr Steve Criswell, who leads on road safety at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It is great to have another company sign up to the Road Safety Covenant. It is a significant step to reduce noise, pollution and increase safety on Cambridgeshire’s roads which will make a real impact on the lives of our residents. We hope Amey’s signage will encourage more companies to come forward and commit to holding up the highest possible standards on the county’s highways.”

Amey’s Paco Hevia said: “We have always taken care not to go through local villages wherever possible and this signing is a next step in that commitment. Our teams are working out in the local community every day and it’s a priority for us to make sure they do that as safely as possible, which the Safer Roads Covenant can only reinforce.”

The text of the Covenant:

“As a commercial company that operates large vehicles in Cambridgeshire, we are aware of the impact our vehicles can have on local communities, including: Noise, vibration, pollution, risk to life.

“We recognise that these factors can be exacerbated by inappropriate or excessive speeds or if unsuitable or environmentally insensitive routes are chosen.

“Therefore, in an attempt to mitigate these impacts we will seek to:

• Cooperate with local communities to identify and address their concerns (as far as is possible)

• Adhere to agreed HCV routes, as appropriate to our vehicles

• Observe weight and speed limits, as appropriate to our vehicles

• Observe self-imposed lower speed limits where these are an appropriate response to community concerns

• Address any report of inappropriate behaviour by our drivers

In return we expect community groups to:

• Approach us directly with any concerns relating to our drivers/vehicles

• Provide regular feedback on the effectiveness of this scheme in addressing the communities’ concerns

• Anonymise any data collected that is made publicly available, except with our prior consent.