Ringway one too far away
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
One sector of the community which has been strangely quiet over the Government's plans for London's Ringway 1 is that of the road users, particularly those engaged in transport and distribution. The project, estimated to cost £2000m and take 20 years to complete, is designed to ease London's traffic congestion.
Surely a more immediate answer to the problem is essential? Before Ringway 1 becomes a reality some other solution must be found for the problem and if the industry does not come up with it, then it may find that the politicians will introduce their own solution which might be both costly and restrictive. An alternative which would be more immediate, less upsetting in physical terms and less costly, is out-ofhours deliveries. Roads which are grossly over-utilized during the day are grossly under-utilized during the night.
The cure could apply equally well to Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester as it would to London. One commentator has already said that these cities will watch the London development with interest and if it succeeds they will follow suit. The provinces can therefore look for their -traffic problems being eased in 50 years' time a totally ridiculous situation and one which even the mildest of pressure groups is unlikely to tolerate much longer in silence. • Previous trials of night deliveries failed simply because they were trials and for no other good reason. The main objections to such a scheme in the past have been on the grounds of cost and security.
If a 12-ton load delivered into central London was to cost an additional £50, and this is an exaggerated uplift, the increase in cost on half a pound of goods would be one tenth of a penny. On the question of security, large organizations like Sainsbury. Tesco, national bakers, newspaper distributors, and the Post Office, make late-night, all-night or early morning deliveries, without their security being impaired. There seems to be no good reason why others cannot do likewise.