Olympics: London Councils haven’t the slightest idea
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I READ WITH interest the CM cover story last week about Transport for London (TfL) ighting for night-time deliveries during the London 2012 Olympics (CM 19 May).
The opening paragraphs were very positive, highlighting the solution to the Olympic Route Network (ORN) delivery situation and looking for a positive legacy to emerge from the use of night time operations.
But this interest soon turned to deep trepidation when I read the following quote from a London Council’s spokeswoman about the London Lorry Control Scheme: “The scheme will still be in force for the duration of the Games.
“Relaxing the scheme will categorically not reduce congestion during the day, but it would increase night time trafic, noise and air pollution, as hauliers would use the central London as a cut through.” This statement shows that London boroughs do not have the slightest idea of what we are trying to achieve, or even of what would be the beneits of relaxing the London Lorry Control Scheme for the Games deliveries.
If this is their inal response, and the word “cate gorically” implies it is, we, in the brewing industry, might as well say now that we will cease deliveries for the 100 days of unusual circumstances on the ORN and adjoining roads during the period midJune to mid-September.
This needs to be sorted immediately, as I do not feel it’s right to continue pushing my members to night-time deliveries as the only solution to no deliveries between 6am and midnight.
This stance by London Councils highlights their continued negative attitude to the CV sector, as we have recently seen in the latest movement of PCN charges, when the higher rate was raised by £10 to £130.
If this is the inal answer, I would like TfL to explain to my members how we are going to complete our deliveries during the long period of activity, while trying to adhere to regulations connected to deliveries of beer (parking adjacent to the delivery point). We anticipate that there will be between 400 and 500 outlets that fall in this category.
Mike Bracey Chairman Brewery Logistics Group