BoJo to ban lorries from central london?

jonginge

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... -london.do

Blimey!

How much are the fines from the EU with regard to air quality? Maybe they're beginning to bite a bit. Discuss

rjsterry

If true (and not just a bit of Boris shout-first-retract-later then that would make a huge difference, to air quality, traffic flow and road safety. And good to see someone finally taking on black cabs - a few less knackered 20 year old diesels can only be a good thing. I'd have thought cabs would be ideal for conversion to hybrid or full electric.

I want it to be true, but have a nagging scepticism.

jonginge

rjsterry wrote:

I want it to be true, but have a nagging scepticism.

Indeed, it may turn out to be just a load of hot air...

kurako

Perhaps they can start by getting rid of the pong from the buses. I find the Abellio fleet particularly unsporting since they have a massive exhaust right at the back rather than pointing to the side.

deptfordmarmoset

I wonder whether the types of lorry - more often than not related to the construction trade - that appear to cause/be involved in a disproportionate number of cyclist fatalities wouldn't get immediate dispensation. Businesses will still need their new offices, and and need housing for the workforce. My fear is that, from a cyclist's POV, the worst danger will remain unabated.

ketsbaia

Can't see it happening. How on earth are stores/restaurants, etc. supposed to get their deliveries?

More bluster from the king of it, but total bollox if you ask me.

Pufftmw

Just hark back to the 80s when Ken was in charge of the GLC - he did much the same thing then gave all the lorries who applied (at a cost no doubt) the right to drive within the zone - remember "GLC Exempt Vehicle" signs on the back of lorries?

Nice idea though it is, I can't see the out of town swap centres working either - think of the costs for ALL distributors with 40 tonners to have distribution centres on the outskirts + the additional numbers of "more ecological" vehicles needed on the congested roads to service that 40 tonnes of cargo! I would estimate as 15 for each single lorry, which take up more of a footprint (extra revenue on Congestion Charge though) plus it would be a bodge, so that diesel and petrol vehicles would be allowed, in turn producing more than a 40 tonner :roll:

Cynical? Moi?

I am a Boris fan though

jamesco

ketsbaia wrote:

Can't see it happening. How on earth are stores/restaurants, etc. supposed to get their deliveries?

More bluster from the king of it, but total bollox if you ask me.

I guess the idea would be to limit access to smaller delivery vehicles, which most of the time would be sufficient, and probably a benefit for narrow London streets. We've probably all passed traffic jams caused by an articulated lorry trying to reverse after getting stuck entering a corner! The point about construction vehicles is a good one and there's probably no reasonable alternative for them than to make an exception.

Mandating clean exhaust for black cabs is a fab idea - why aren't they already hybrid, given the stop/start driving patterns?

I would kind of miss the warm rush of exhaust from a bus on a cold winters day, but not getting lung cancer would be worth it

Canny Jock

As usual, the comments are great:

"Ban all vehicles from central London, Buses, Taxi’s, Coaches, and Lorries. We can then all fry around on little hover boards.

- PC, London, 04/11/2010 15:47"

Or bikes, PC.

Cafewanda

Can I put in an order for a bacon and egg sarnie? Toasted?

Canny Jock

Cafewanda wrote:

Can I put in an order for a bacon and egg sarnie? Toasted?

cjcp

jamesco wrote:

ketsbaia wrote:

Can't see it happening. How on earth are stores/restaurants, etc. supposed to get their deliveries?

More bluster from the king of it, but total bollox if you ask me.

I guess the idea would be to limit access to smaller delivery vehicles, which most of the time would be sufficient, and probably a benefit for narrow London streets. We've probably all passed traffic jams caused by an articulated lorry trying to reverse after getting stuck entering a corner! The point about construction vehicles is a good one and there's probably no reasonable alternative for them than to make an exception.

Never quite understood why they allow delivery vans to be parked up during rush hour anyway e.g the vehicles often parked outside Westminster tube station around 8:30am. Takes out the left filter lane. Smashing idea.

But doesn't only shift pollution in the city centre to the areas surrounding consolidation centres, which may be near residtential areas? And it might not reduce the number of vehicles on the roads.

ooermissus

This is already done at Heathrow, where you have a model for how consolidation centres can reduce both the numbers of lorries and their emissions - halving the number of vehicles I think. So it might be able to work...

ooermissus

[double post - sorry]

davmaggs

Misleading headline (on this forum and the paper) as he is talking about emissions. That doesn't mean that lorries would be banned just the grubby ones.

The moment a news outlet says "could" in the title you know it's nonsense.

ooermissus

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I wonder whether the types of lorry - more often than not related to the construction trade - that appear to cause/be involved in a disproportionate number of cyclist fatalities wouldn't get immediate dispensation.

Construction can use consolidation as well. In fact there was a trial of this back in 2006. Don't know what happened to it though.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/static/corporate/ ... /3664.html

biondino

Please god make the taxis sort their engines out.

iPete

I'd be far more keen on just banning them from certain hours and not promoting rush hour deliveries. Large vehicles are good for drafting though. :twisted: