The damage done
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LONDON'S industrial decline has coincided with the growth of the lorry and its unrestricted access. The effects of heavy lorries on the environment are not represented in the transport market as costs to the "heavy vehicle user," but are passed on to the public at large, said Tony Howell of the London Amenity and Transport Association.
Damage to roads is easily measurable and can be costed. "But noise, visual intrusion, intimidation and community severance cannot have a price put on them," he said.
Another market that has been hit by the heavy lorry is the buying and selling of houses, shops and offices. "Prices in heavily congested areas are now becoming depressed and rented accommodation is being similarly hit.
"The so-called 'canalisation' of traffic on to roads which are residential or shopping areas is completely unacceptable," he pointed out.