As London prepares to host the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games this summer, fresh produce traders in the UK capital are putting their own plans in place to cope with expected major disruption to their distribution networks, with many fearful that night-time road restrictions in the city could prove an insurmountable challenge.
The Olympic Route Network (ORN), a 109-mile collection of key roads connecting Olympic and Paralympic venues and other sites across London, is expected to limit the amount of normal traffic that can move around the city while the events are taking place.
The ORN passes alongside London's New Covent Garden Market (NCGM), where traders have been told they will have to limit their use of the road to between midnight and 6am.
As reported in the Fresh Produce Journal, this has raised concerns that the restriction will put too much pressure on suppliers to make all of their deliveries within the allotted time.
'Suppliers will be fighting among themselves,' says Richard Hickson, managing director of Premier Fruits, based at NCGM. 'From a catering point of view we are suffering a bit with it. One of our firms is looking at dropping `staff working hours` back 12 hours. It's a massive upheaval and we've having to uproot our entire operation.'
Premier Fruits' logistics manager Bill Singh adds that the company may have to rethink the way it supplies its catering customers. 'The ORN is really going to hurt,' he says. 'The 12-6am restriction is simply not workable. We make deliveries to 200 drops – how do you work in a six-hour window?'
Sprint relays
Peter Thomas, managing director of supplier Prescott-Thomas Ltd, wrote to customers recently to advise them of the need to make alternative arrangements for receiving deliveries during the games.
His company is based at New Spitalfields Market, the UK's largest fresh produce wholesale centre, which is located in Leyton, east London – just a javelin throw away from the Olympic Stadium.
Being so close to the action, the market's traders will have to contend with road and lane closures, as well as other traffic restrictions, all of which Thomas believes will 'bring London to a standstill'.
'Although it will be a most wonderful event, with it will come immense problems regarding deliveries in and around London,' he says.
'It will be virtually impossible to make deliveries in the usual time-frames. The closures will start from 6am in the morning to midnight with an estimated time frame of approximately 100 days.'
As a result, Thomas warns, changes to delivery lead times are required urgently.
His company has advised clients to consider receiving their orders a day earlier as well as making arrangements to receive those orders after midnight.
'This would solve a whole host of problems,' he explains. 'It would mean bringing our business forward by about six hours, but the advantages would be that our delivery vehicles would be in and out of London with relative ease, avoiding all the traffic disruptions and limit the amount of stress on everybody concerned.'
Jump in demand
However, the arrival of the world's largest sporting event in London could also have a positive impact on demand for fresh fruit and vegetables.
'Many feel increased traffic could negatively impact on business, but everything we've seen suggests sales will rise and the games will create a buzz around the markets and their fresh British produce,' says Jan Hutchinson, chief executive of Spitalfields Market Tenants Association.
The market itself is plans to host a special Olympic market during the games, located on the north entrance of the Olympic Park.
'The Olympics will have a massive impact on the site and in theory, being based in Leyton should create a massive footfall,' says Hutchinson.
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