Coping with Christmas at Covent Garden
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by CM reporter •
THE past pre-Christmas weeks have been the first real testing time for the new Covent Garden market situated on London's South Bank at Vauxhall. In the past the Christmas rush always the busiest time for the fruit, vegetable and flower trades has been crammed into the old buildings in the west end of London. The new multim illi on pound market opened at the beginning of November. though some of the final touches have still to be made.
To see how the market was coping with the strain I visited Vauxhall during the busiest period. The fruit and vegetable market is in the form of a capital H with loading facilities on four separate sides of the building. Surprisingly, perhaps, the Covent Garden Market authority has decided against having loading bays; instead each trader has a full-length opening door to his own under-cover facilities. Vehicles can draw up direct to these doors for off
loading by forklift truck. Electric tenders — con verted milk floats shuttle produce between the various parts of the market.
Arriving at Covent Garden at 6.30 am the atmosphere was one of quiet efficiency -a direct contrast to the frenzy of the old market Vehicles arriving to deliver goods report to a control post a worth. while security check -then proceed to their destination. Vehicles collecting.produce are loaded by porters as sales take place. There is another check at the exit.
It is significant that noone I was able to speak to had much of a bad word to say for the new market. Operators seem to appreciate that delays to vehicles which were commonplace in the old market cost money and there are substantial
savings to be had especially as the market authority has for the time being waived charges it was planning to levy on vehicles using the market.
For the first time it has been possible to make an accurate check on the numbers of vehicles entering the market. Even before the Christmas rush reached its climax the volume of traffic was startlingly high. In a four-day period (from Tuesday to Friday) 15,479 vehicles entered the market. Of these, 2,251 were goods vehicles delivering to the fruit and vegetable market, 4,441 were collecting and a further 3,323 cars were going there, too. Goods vehicles delivering to the flower market numbered 311 while a further 2,442 were collecting. Cars to the flower market accounted for a further 1,928, 547 cars went to a car park and no less than 236 taxis used the market.
An interesting point about the flower market — an entirely separate building and much smaller— is that it has a proper loading dock complete with dock levellers. This is despite the apparently much lighter material being handled. The flower market is separated from the vegetable market by a railway line and access is via two tunnels. The roads linking these are somewhat confusing with one junction where traffic approaches on the right of the road.
Though environmentalists no doubt bemoan the loss of the old site, most operators who have market business no doubt welcome the change of venue. When facilities are completed — with hopefully some more under-cover loading bays — there should be few complaints. London operators might do well to look to their laurels: many of those taxis using the market go away loaded down with produce. There is business there for someone's truck.