BVRLA has responded to TfL’s consultation on Direct Vision – the mayor of London’s proposal to rate trucks in London from zero to five stars and to ban the worst of them (zero stars) by 2020.
Sadiq Khan is calling for trucks to have either a low-entry cab or a transparent panel in the passenger door.
“We welcome the mayor’s attempts to improve road safety in London, but while his intentions are noble, he’s approaching this the wrong way,” says Gerry Kearney (pictured), BVRLA’s chief executive.
There are not enough low-entry cab vehicles available on the market, he says, and it is “just not feasible” for his members to install a window in the door panel of every truck in their fleets.
“TfL needs to provide more robust safety evidence to justify the changes needed,” adds Kearney.
“BVRLA members... have invested heavily in cyclist detection systems, sideguards and cameras. While rental and leasing companies are unable to endorse the Direct Vision standard proposals as they stand, we have told TfL that we want to help the mayor meet his goals.”
BVRLA also believes road safety initiatives should be UK-wide, not restricted to vehicles operating in the capital. “Our members hire out HGVs across the country to enable companies to conduct their business,” Kearney points out.
“One day a vehicle might be needed in Birmingham, and the next it could be required to travel into London. Companies should not be forced to make separate considerations solely for work in the capital.”
The association is calling for a nationwide road safety framework, backed up by a clear cost-benefit analysis and part of a national type approval scheme.