TRANSPORT POLICIES * Europe - EU plan to restrict day time freight deliveries

Brussels,Belgium -Biglorryblog (UK), by Laurie Dealer -April 1, 2011: -- The EU is looking to extend the practise carried out by local authorities in the UK of restricting high street deliveries during the day to cover all day time deliveries... Many local authorities enforce a 10 to four pm ban on high street deliveries, according to the EU, this cuts day time congestion, claims the EU, and it wants to extend this to all deliveries to homes and businesses not based on established trading estates... It argues that all deliveries should be made in two time slots; 4am to 10am and 4pm to 10pm... The consultation paper, labelled Diminution of Day Time Freight Delivery is also keen to focus on localism, and suggests that only freight businesses based within 50 miles of a delivery destination should be allowed to travel the 'final mile'... The consultation also argues that local government should foot the bill if local businesses choose to have its freight delivered by rail exceeding the 50 mile radius, in an effort to further reduce road congestion, and boost an ailing rail freight industry...