GLC plays soft
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THREAT of large-scale lorry s in Greater London has n postponed, but an industry kesman warned that draco
actions should not be :ounted for the future, writes news editor.
ee Greater London Council's ;sport committee was due to lit on Wednesday this week, r we closed for press, to ;Liss the first action to be on the Wood Report on the cts of heavy lorry bans in ater London.
peaking before the meeting, : transport committee chair 'e Wetzel said the council ; planning to seek more innation before putting for d definite proposals, and it is ly to be February before firm ls are discussed. He said Wednesday's meeting would seek authority to conduct a detailed investigation of the possibility of implementing night or weekend bans on all or selected types of lorries. This would include the possibility of exempting vehicles carrying perishable goods.
There would also be a further study of the effects of a full-time ban on heavier lorries, with the possibility of a 32.5 tonne weight limit being introduced at an early stage. This study would also look at other options for alleviating lorry problems in London, Mr Wetzel added.
The ban proposals are to be examined by the GLC's industry and employment committees.
A final decision on whether to go ahead with the 50sq mile 7.5tonne limit in Enfield and Barnet, shelved in June last year, was also to be taken on Wednesday, It was put on ice pending the publication of the Wood Report, but it was widely expected that it would be approved this week.
While the transport industry fought the plans for this scheme — one of the biggest in the country — it now appears diminutive against the threat of all-London bans, and is unlikely to attract more than token opposition from operators.
There also is a view in parts of the industry that its attempts to stave off the ban, using claims that the M25 was syphoning off traffic, was being let down by some operators' refusal to adopt different routes.
But better news for the industry is that the committee was being asked to take no further action on banning drawbar combinations of over 15.5m, as this would be looked at instead as part of the overall effects of large-scale lorry bans.
Mr Wetzel added that the GLC would look at the possibility of using experimental powers to implement lorry bans. Commenting on the postponed decision, Freight Transport Association planning and traffic services controller Richard Turner said: "It is a major retreat from a decision which could have been devastating for London's industry. It would have been horrendous if the GLC had gone ahead without further investigations."
But he said there is still a possibility of major lorry bans being planned for London in the future, and as long as this remains, industry will be affected by the blight such indecision brings.
Mr Turner revealed that FTA figures already showed that 6,000 jobs in 50 companies which had responded to a survey would be put at risk by night or weekend bans. A percentage of that number would be put at risk as long as no decision was taken, as some jobs would be located in areas where lorries have freer access.