The Reader: Tell us if HS2 will help lift blight of lorries

If the HS2 railway project were to actually take some commercial traffic off the roads — as so many such projects have promised in the past — I could see some merit in it. But what impact will it actually have in towns and cities, on the relentless and brutal flow of heavy goods vehicles from supermarkets to “logistics” to building and construction traffic? We do not know, and we need to.

I live in the Upper Richmond Road in Putney and even in high lockdown it was like the M1. In all the discussion of transport, pollution, congestion and disruption I’ve never seen anyone address this issue. Someone must.
Maurice Geller

Dear Maurice

I agree that every effort must be made to minimise the number of heavy goods vehicles travelling through London. Good logistics and co-ordination of deliveries, to ensure lorries are full and not driving half-empty, is one way of achieving this. New delivery or road-charging structures might also help, along with increased use of smaller, green vehicles for the last stage of deliveries. HS2 is designed to create extra room on existing rail lines for more local services, and it will help to reduce car use and pollution.
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor

Plans to discourage traffic by charging for parking in Richmond Park seem muddled and will do nothing to deter the majority of motorists, who use it as a rat-run.

As your article (Sept 7) points out, “research shows only 12 per cent of motorists entering the park during weekday mornings had done so to visit”. It is no coincidence that the week traffic was readmitted to the park, air pollution went through the roof in Richmond. If the Royal Parks are concerned, they need to instigate road tolls, though paradoxically this fuels a need. Better still — go back into lockdown: ban the car.
Dave Degen