Congestion
Sir: In theory your suggestion (17 July) that deliveries in London should be barred between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. seems delightfully simple and sensible. Already loading restrictions, bus-only lanes, urban clearways etc—some starting as early as 7 am.— severely restrict the delivery day. In the West End, evening entertainment traffic and the relaxation of daytime parking restrictions make deliveries difficult without double parking.
From the goods vehicle operators' point of view there is much to be said for a degree of out-of-hours delivery. Less traffic means better timing and less vehicle wear and tear and better fuel economy. In addition there is scope for greater vehicle utilisation.
The problems arise from the fact that goods have to be received, checked in and stored away by someone. For shops and offices the cost of employing the necessary additional staff is prohibitive. Where supplier and trader are one and the same, e.g. certain bakery and dry cleaning groups, the delivery driver can be and is in certain circumstances given the necessary keys to let himself in.
A further factor is that in many trades, and particularly where fresh produce is concerned, 'top-up' deliveries are made during the day to meet shoppers' demands. This of course is not to mention environmental factors and particularly noise, where current GLC policy is, as far as possible, to keep goods vehicles out of London at night.
Once again we come back to the fact that London, practically alone of major cities, does not possess any sort of ring road system. Until through traffic which has no desire to be in the centre of London has an alternative route we shall be bedevilled by the increasing traffic chaos.
J. M. Guttridge Hermes House, St John's Road Tunbridge Wells, Kent
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