Tuesday 22 March 2016

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry says no lorry ban without a plan

With Mayoral candidates floating the potential for a morning peak-hour lorry ban, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said the new Mayor should not rush towards a populist ban without having thought through a credible plan to minimise economic impacts.

The call came as LCCI published findings of a ComRes survey on 'roads usage' that found 68% of businesses polled supportive of pedestrianizing Oxford Street. At the same time 67% of respondents want to see a relaxation of night-time delivery rules in zone 1.

Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of LCCI said: "With increasing focus on quality of life issues in Mayoral debates, these results show that businesses are keen to explore different options to achieve a sensible balance between public and commercial needs.

"Zone 1 is a highly successful commercial area but for that to continue, policymakers must take care not to produce unintended consequences by taking quick, populist decisions.

"Those calling for a morning lorry ban must spell out how shops will be stocked in time for 9am openings or how builders secure supplies to construct the offices and homes central London needs.

"Night-time deliveries can be key to facilitating future changes in traffic rules however new hours or increased frequency should not be able to be blocked by an unrepresentative and vocal minority".

Transport is one of five key priorities identified by LCCI in its 20-step agenda; Towards a Greater London which sets out measures to secure London's future as a great place to live, setup and run a business.

ENDS

Media contact
Katharine McGee
T: +44 (0)20 7203 1897
M: +44 (0)7827 241528
E: kmcgee@londonchamber.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITOR:

1. London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is the capital's most representative business organisation with members ranging in size from multi-national companies to SMEs and sole traders.

2. Colin Stanbridge is available for further comment and interview.

3. ComRes interviewed 506 London business decision makers between 1 and 22nd February 2016 online. Data was weighted to be representative of all London businesses by company size and broad industry sector. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

4. Follow the discussion on #TowardsAGreaterLdn or via @londonchamber