Lorry ban plan axed
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• A proposal to relax the controversial condition 5 of the London Lorry Ban has been rejected.
At a meeting with the two main trade associations last week, the London Boroughs Transport Committee said that it would go on prosecuting hauliers and drivers who strayed from the roads excluded from the ban, except where it was absolutely necessary.
This means that drivers are banned from using many primary routes through the capital, which include the A5, A13 and A20, at nights and weekends, says the Freight Transport Association, Condition 5 states that drivers must minimise their use of restricted roads, even if their trucks carry a green exemption permit. The only exception is when a driver has to use a restricted road to pick up or make a delivery. If the driver could have done the same part of his journey on an excluded route, such as the M25, he and his boss are liable to receive a court summons.
The FTA says the rule was designed to stop drivers using residential streets, as short cuts through London.
However, by prosecuting drivers for using main roads, classed by the Department of Transport as part of the country's primary route network, the LBTC is being "unreasonable", it says. "They would be making better use of their limited resources patrolling lesser roads that everybody agrees should not be used."
The FTA says the LBTC stance is pushing up operators' and customers' costs by forcing drivers to take long detours to deliver goods.