Oxford hauliers fight back against council
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OXFORD HAULIERS have questioned the council's plans to introduce a freight park-andride scheme to reduce vehicle miles, claiming it won't work.
The freight consolidation scheme is one of the proposals being considered by Oxford City Council as part of its Air Quality Action Plan. If approved, operators will have to park LGVs outside a certain area where a courier will pick up their load for delivery into the city
centre. The aim is to deliver a 10% reduction in freight vehicle kilometres in the city by 2020.
The council is also considering increasing the scope of its low emission zone (LEZ), currently in place for buses, to include goods vehicles.
The proposals have been slammed by transport operators including John Werrell & Son. Director John Werrell said: "I don't agree with it. Surely, it will be more costly as you're doublehandling everything?" Oxford Transport, which runs six vehicles across two sites in Abingdon, said even though
it rarely goes into the centre, the freight consolidation scheme will affect its costs when it does. "I don't think it will work," director Andrew Roots told CM. "It will push prices up and people want their loads to [be delivered] door-to-door, not off a truck and into a van."
Oxford City Council was unavailable for comment on when it plans to introduce the scheme, if it is approved.
• To have your say on the proposals, view the consultation, which runs until 17 September. Log on to consultation.oxford.gov.uk.