Neighbridge plans
Page 17
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INER London council is trying to discourage heavy lorry traffic entering its territory and plans to install a weighbridge in the la of one of the capital's busiest roads.
ngton Borough Council, e territory includes the arterial routes to the Al, • Lonclon docks, wants to urage through traffic from ads and to divert it on to the )rbital route.
;ording to its development traffic committee chair, Broadbent, it has identified ! on Holloway Road which Id accommodate a bridge in what effectively central reservation.
ite for a vehicle pound, capDf accommodating up to six s, has been located around mile from the weighbridge and Mr Broadbent told CM the Metropolitan Police is y with the arrangements 3sed.
tailed discussions are now g place between Islington he Greater London Council, 1 is responsible for the ngton's plans are for ranchecks to be carried out on is outside rush hours, as to deter traffic from using 'ma as to catch overloaded vehicles.
Mr Broadbent said the council hopes the north-eastern section of the M25 will take much of the through traffic out of Islington, but expressed doubts about whether this would really happen. He fears that some lorry drivers will still imagine that it is quicker to drive across rather than around London.
And he added that traffic would still need to serve Smithfield meat market. He accepted that there is no alternative but for these vehicles to use Holloway Road, but wants to ensure that they are correctly loaded.
Commenting on the proposals, Freight Transport Associa tion traffic officer Don McIntyre said the transport industry has no objection in principle to the extension of weight checks, especially if they are carried out closer to lorry routes.
But he expressed doubts about the practicality of a scheme to conduct weight checks in the middle of a trunk road, even if they are confined to quieter periods. He suggested that there might still be a risk to traffic congestion being generated.
The FTA also believes that the M25 will attract most of the through traffic and suggested that the weighbridge may be being installed on the false premise that it, and not the existence of a faster route, will transfer traffic.