Chalker promises to review London's lorry problems
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THE ABOLITION of the Greater London Council will provide an opportunity to look afresh at the real issues about lorries in London, Transport Minister Lynda Chalker has told the industry.
At a meeting with representatives from the Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association, the Confederation of British Industry and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chalker said she wants operators as well as the London boroughs to tell her what they think are the most pressing questions for the future of lorries in London, and how they want to be involved in tackling them.
Rut she refused to block the GLC's night and weekend lorry ban.
Chalker said London could not thrive without lorries; jobs and its social life depended on lorry deliveries. "We must not lose sight of this vital truth," she said.
While the Government was in the forefront of moves to make lorries quieter and safer, it had to act in a way that does not jeopardise jobs and deliveries and does not impose unreasonable costs on operators and their customers.
Chalker said she will discuss with the boroughs the efficient use of lorries and the roads, as they are vital for the employment and living standards demanded by Londoners.