Ban inquiry likely
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A PUBLIC INQUIRY may yet be held into the Greater London Council's plan for a night and weekend lorry ban, the ruling Labour group agreed last week. ALAN MILLAR reports.
The GLC's transport committee voted to publish the order specifying the roads exempted from the proposed ban, but committee chair Dave Wetzel said he will consider holding a public inquiry soon.
Opposition transport spokesman Cyril Taylor argued that the "freight lobby" had offered the GLC a "categoric ban" on through London lorry traffic, but it emerged after the meeting that the industry's offer falls short of Mr Taylor's interpretation.
Freight Transport Association South-East controller John Guttridge told CM that the industry is prepared to consider a ban on through traffic at night and weekends after the M25 is completed.
To try to head off the risk of the ban being killed off by court action, the GLC is now backing down on its proposals to exempt vehicles if they meet noise levels peculiar to London.
London noise limits more stringent than the EEC's could be held to be in breach of an EEC directive. So a lorry could not now be banned from London because it is too noisy, nor could one automatically be permitted access if it was quiet.