Ban stays for 18 months
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• Operators face at least another 18 months of the London lorry ban, following an overwhelming vote by the 33 London boroughs last week.
In a decisive thumbs-up for the principle and continuation of the night and weekend ban for lorries over 16.5 tonnes, the boroughs, under the umbrella of the London Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC), voted for: A joint committee of the boroughs to run the ban, as well as provision for a permit refusal appeals body.
Additional lorry ban unit staff for permit applications and to see if operators are fulfilling promises given to secure permits.
El Intensive enforcement from the Metropolitan Police. []A request to Transport Secretary John Moore for effective signing and the use of his reserve powers to stop individual boroughs ignoring the ban.
A Conservative proposal attacking the ban as unworkable and calling for its removal was defeated heavily and received the support of just seven boroughs.
The boroughs also agreed to ask Moore to restore the ban to the 104km (65 miles) of roads which were added to the trunk road and, therefore, to the ban-free network after the Greater London Council's abolition.
Richmond Borough is also appealing against last week's High Court Government victory (CM, August 2) which ruled that the Government acted legally when it took the 104km out of the ban.
However, the boroughs are also conscious of a Freight Transport Association attempt to take the ban back into the courts. The ETA is trying to find grounds — and who — to challenge over the administration of the permit system. It says the permit application rules have changed, with operators now having to agree to fit vehicle silencing equipment before receiving permits.