Food market in danger
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ANY EXEMPTIONS to a Londo lorry ban should be extended t the fresh fruit and vegetabl operators, according to Richar Wright, of Geest Foods.
Geest Foods is a trading div sion of Geest Industries Ltd an serves major stores with fres fruit and vegetables. It offers ii customers the shared use ( vehicles, thus reducing cosi and the number of lorries on th London roads, Mr Wright tol the inquiry.
The goods are delivered t stores between a 24 to 48 haul after picking, he said.
These deliveries take place si days a week because of the per shable nature of the goods. Th goods arrive at the -stores lat tween Sam and 8.30am, accor( ing to the needs of the store, h added.
A ban in London would affei the company's depots e Burnham, near Slough, Gre Dunmow in Essex and Lingfiel in Surrey, he explained.
There are 30 16-ton gvw bo) vans with 30 drivers in the Lor don area, Mr Wright added, wit 36 other staff indirectly involve( The total package volume carried into the London area about 56,700 per week, wit vehicles between 40 and 100 p( cent full in volume, he said.
Geest's market operation frun from the same depots in th London area and are involved i general trading with five of th London markets.
"A ban on night transpor would revolutionise the concep of the market operation," M Wright stressed, "and whethe they could survive this change is difficult to foretell."