LETTER OF THE WEEK
Page 16
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Lorry ban must be lifted to allow Olympic deliveries
THE ITEM ON Roadtransport. com (“FTA calls for ‘workable solution’ to deliveries during the Olympics”) is, as far as London Councils is concerned, a joke. The comments by London Councils are a total mockery of the whole situation, as so far all they have given is the crumbs off the table.
All businesses on the Olympic Route Network (ORN) can only receive deliveries between midnight and 6am.
The Brewery Logistics Group members alone will have about 500 accounts in this situation and the night operation will last for eight weeks (15 July to 10 September). It has to be this long as it is not possible to start and stop a night shift at will; once set up with staff and customers, it has to run its course. Volumes required will be much higher than in a normal summer, meaning extra deliveries will be the norm.
The only concession London Councils has given is that we have to furnish details of all deliveries to justify operating within the timescale of the London Lorry Control Scheme (LLCS) – 9pm to 7am. This is impossible as we will not have the staff to do it. We are already looking at stopping load planning for the day operation, because it will not be feasible to use this with all the hundreds of road changes being made for the ORN and other side roads in London.
With most distributors having to deliver between midnight and 6am to customers on and next to the ORN, I doubt whether London Councils could cope with the volume of paperwork.
This night operation is something we do not want, but have no choice with the stipulations laid down by the Olympic Delivery Authority and Transport for London. It will be very costly for distributors and the customers who have to receive their deliveries.
London Councils is being its normal bloodyminded self. It does not understand that without CVs no one would live, work or play in the capital and this has never been more true than for next year during June to September.
The only solution that will work, and that is not guaranteed, is for the LLCS to be lifted completely for the period mid-July to mid-September.
Mike Bracey Chairman Brewery Logistics Group