Ban 'forces detours'
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Operators are being forced to travel up to 80km out of their way to avoid being prosecuted under the London Lorry Ban, according to the Freight Transport Association.
The London Boroughs Transport Committee has begun prosecuting permit holders for unnecessarily straying from roads excluded from the ban.
It says that until six months ago it was too busy sorting out the air brake silencer dispute with the transport associations to prosecute under Condition 5 of the ban. This condition requires operators to "maximise" the use of excluded roads, such as trunk roads and access roads to industrial estates.
However, the FTA says the LBTC is being inflexible with Condition 5, which can lead to fines of up to £400, for drivers and operators.
"The LBTC is applying a rigid interpretation of Condition 5, which in itself is delightfully vague, even if it means an enormous diversion for the driver," says the FTA's John Guttridge. He cites one example of a driver told to use excluded routes exclusively within the M25, adding 80km to his journey each way.
But the LBTC insists: "The whole point of the ban is to keep trucks from residential areas." It is annoyed that the FTA is disputing yet another part of the ban, which it says only causes confusion for FTA members.