Better to use the M25
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IT IS QUICKER and easier to use the M25 at night than drive lorries across London, according to the Freight Transport Association. But the absence of service areas on the M25 and the imposition of tolls at Dartford still represents a barrier.
To try to disprove the Greater London Council's argument that a night and weekend lorry ban is needed to deter drivers from crossing London after the M25 is complete, it took a lorry around the largely complete north-eastern section of the motorway one night last month and across London on the next.
The M25 return route was longer, at 69 rather than 58 miles for the cross-London route, but the FTA vehicle completed the motorway route in one hour 21 minutes, against one hour 33 minutes across London.
It saved about two gallons of dery by using the motorway, made only 47 gearchanges (mostly off the motorway) against 204 across London, and encountered only one set of traffic signals, against 85 when crossing London.
But against that no fuelling or catering services exist at present for 82 miles of motorway south of Toddington on the Ml, and there is a £1.60 toll each time a vehicle enters the Dartford Tunnel on the M25. That amounts to £16 for a driver making five round trips a week.
• Protests about the proposed GLC lorry ban are coming from as far afield as Aberdeen.
Two firms — Charles Alexander and the Aberdeen Service Company (Asco) have warned that the night and weekend restrictions could cut off corn ponies in the North East of Scotland from regular links with suppliers in London.
Asco is a supplier to the oil industry and provides a roundthe-clock service which it feels, could be jeopardised if it could not continue to have immediate access to its main London suppliers.
It has been pointed out that in extrerhe cases a North Sea oil platform might have to shut down temporarily if a crucial spare part could not be obtained.
Alexander, a Transport Development Group haulier has important contracts to supply Billingsgate market with fish from Scotland. The deliveries have to be made during the night to catch the early morning market.