Market's lorries unlikely to be exempted by GLC
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Green ban fears
PRESSURE for a public inquiry into the Greater London Council's proposed night and weekend lorry ban grew last week after Transport Minister Lynda Chalker visited New Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market to reassure worried traders.
Her visit coincided with word that the orders for the 9pm to 7am and Saturday afternoon/ all-day Sunday ban will not be published until next month.
Mrs Chalker said the cost of fresh fruit and vegetables could rise as a result of the GLC's proposed ban.
She said she was totally in sympathy with the need for quiet heavy goods vehicles and taking noise away from residential areas. She pointed out that between 1980 and 1990, the Government would have halved the noise of new lorries.
Mrs Chalker said that although the exact details of the ban were not known, it seemed to the Government that they would only add to costs and bureaucracy. The added burden would chase jobs out of London and put up prices.
"Down loading of goods from larger vehicles will more than double the number of replacement vehicles on the roads. Double handling of perishable goods means goods lose value and their prices to customers would rise".
Whatever the GLC's final proposals, Londoners should have the chance to examine them at a public inquiry before an independent inspector, said Mrs Chalker, reinforcing the view that, ultimately, an inquiry will be forced on the GLC.
If that happens, the ban cannot be implemented until after the GLC disappears in 1986.
The Covent Garden Market's concern stems from its strong fears that the market will not, after all, be exempted from a night and weekend ban on lorries over 16.5 tonnes.
In a statement released last week, the market said that "most regrettably" there would be no general exemption for lorries serving London's perishable foods markets, unless the vehicles conformed to the noise limits which the GLC intends to impose.
The GLC's freight unit told CM that the matter was not as clear cut as that, but agreed that a noise exemption would probably find favour with it when the lorry ban orders are published.
A spokesman said it would be counter-productive to permit a general exemption for all market-bound lorries, as this would diminish the effect of the night and weekend ban, but each haulier's application would be considered on its merits.
Exemption permits would be issued to operators which displayed a willingness to meet the GLC's environmental standards. The spokesman added that a small operator with an elderly fleet of lorries would "stand a reasonable chance of getting a permit" if it made the maximum environmental effort within its limited resources.