Deliveries must keep streets, as well as the beer, flowing (15/06/2007)

At a parking summit today [Friday 15th June] Westminster City Council has proposed doubling the time allowed for loading and unloading by heavy goods vehicles from 20 to 40 minutes on a trial basis.

However, delivery drivers have been warned that this scheme will not be made permanent unless they play their part and ensure that traffic flows are not adversely affected.

Councillor Danny Chalkley, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Transportation said:

“I am pleased to announce this new proposal which will help those largest delivery drivers who need longer than the present 20 minutes to unload their wagons.

“This follows the consultation we have done since last November with delivery companies and local businesses who complained that they were being given parking tickets if their cargo took longer than 20 minutes to unload.

“However, in order for this pilot scheme to be successful, we need delivery drivers to play their part and make every effort not to block other traffic.

“They therefore must manage to keep the old, narrow streets of Soho flowing - as well as the beer - otherwise this test scheme will be given its ‘last orders’ and scrapped rather than being extended.”

Also at the parking summit, the council reported the progress it had made since November when a series of policy pledges had been made. These included new online Dispensations and Tradesman Permits and improved debt collection measures to reduce need for bailiff enforcement.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The extra time for loading and unloading is just one of the measures that Westminster Council is proposing at the Parking Summit on Friday 15th June. If the proposal is welcomed by haulage firms then a formal decision to introduce the pilot scheme is likely to be taken in July.

Generally commercial vehicles can stop to load and unload on single and double yellow lines for a maximum of 20 minutes between 11am and 6.30pm. Outside of these times commercial vehicles are allowed as long as necessary. However, continuous loading activity must be apparent otherwise a parking ticket may be issued.

In Soho, there are number of further restrictions with kerb markings which accompany single and double yellow lines. These direct drivers to look for timeplates that display additional loading and unloading restrictions that apply to the yellow lines in that area.

For instance, these could either be a single yellow kerb marking which would indicate ‘No loading between Monday to Saturday between midnight and 8.30am’; or a double- yellow kerb marking which would indicate no loading at any time.