Too Much Space for Loading Bays?
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
WHEN he was announcing on Monday vv the sweeping increases he proposes to make in meter-parking fees in central London, the Minister of Transport simultaneously made public a booklet " Parking—the next stage ". This contained a suggestion that further space for cars to park at meters could be found by making use of space not required for the loading or unloading of vehicles.
" It is right '', says the booklet, " with new controlled parking schemes to provide generous loading space. But surveys in central London have shown that loading gaps are seldom more than half full."
What, I asked were these surveys? Thanks to the Ministry giving rue access to their confidential files. I can reveal that the surveys were carried out in 13 meter zones by observers working for the London Traffic Management Unit on Tuesday, June 19. 1962. A.random selection of loading area positions was made, observers pacing out the distances involved and then arbitrarily dividing those distances by 20 ft. (as an " average" size for a commercial vehicle) to obtain the maximum vehicle-capacity of each loading area. Observations were made
at three periods --between 10 and 11 a.m.. 1 and 2 p.m., 3 and 4 p.m. These were the results:—
How much can be read into these totals? First, it is clear that the observations were carried out impartially by outside observers under normal statistical sampling procedure. Secondly, many goods vehicles might have been using non-meter areas to load and unload, or have been off the street. Thirdly, the times chosen might not have coincided with peaks in all the zones.
It does seem, however, that the question has been posed: "Do goods vehicles get an over-generous allocation of space in meter zones?" A.B.