Effects of Bans on Heavy Lorries in London: Impacts on Manufacturing & Service Industries

The report evaluates the extent to which representative samples of manu- facturing and service firms drawn from the inner and outer London areas of South Shoreditch and Brimsdown respectively would be affected by proposed bans on 16 ton and 24 ton GVW commercial vehicles within Greater London.

The proportion of commercial vehicle trips to and from South Shoreditch firms affected by the bans would be low and one-quarter of the firms would be affected by a 16 ton GW ban. One in five trips to and from Brimsdown firms is currently made by a vehicle in excess of 16 ton GVW, and two-thirds of the sample of firms would be affected. The majority of affected movements are by suppliers' vehicles rather than firms' own fleets.

Three firms particularly likely to be affected were examined in more detail, and the implications of their changing to lighter vehicles investigated. A weight-specific 16 ton GVW ban would impose annual operating cost increases on all firms if they were to maintain existing levels of service with their own vehicle fleets. Under a 24 ton GVW ban two firms would incur cost increases while, for the operations considered, there would be a saving in annual operating costs for the third. The assumption that regulations governing vehicle dimensions and carrying capacity remain unaltered is crucial to the conclusions.

Night time 16 ton and 24 ton GVW bans would affect a minority of firms, although the duration of the ban would be important. Weekend bans would not significantly affect the firms.