How to evade permits
Page 6
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A GREATER London Council plan to introduce a system of permits for bringing heavy lorries into central London has been condemned by both the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association. But reaction from the operators was mixed.
In St Helens, Heaton's Transport has already planned a way round the new restrictions. It will be hauling to the outskirts of London, using drawbar outfits and then splitting the outfit into one four-wheel unit, removing the folly from the trailer and attaching an artic tractive unit.
Mr Robert Heaton commented: "We feel we will have some advantage with this arrangement. We will welcome it in fact.
"We have been running these drawbar outfits for two or three years in anticipation that something like this would happen."
At British Road Services there was little concern. "It is not going to present us with too many problems," said a spokesman for the Southern area.
Taunton Meat Haulage was more worried. They run heavy vehicles to Smithfield Market and transport manager Mr Tom Hewett said: "Obviously it is going to make more paperwork for us. And, until the details of the scheme have been hammered out, it is going to be difficult to know just what is going on."
The plan to introduce the permits will be operated alongside another scheme to build break-bulk complexes on the outskirts of London. Already this has received the green light from the GLC and sites have been named.
RHA reaction to the plan was: "Absolutely ridiculous." There were more than enough restrictions on hauliers already.
The FA accused the GLC of "political window dressing" and restrospective planning.