The RHA says it wants to discuss the proposed rush-hour ban on truck deliveries, saying “this is not the answer” to congestion problems: “Restaurants and other retail outlets would suffer and the delays to construction projects, already working within strict time constraints, would be inevitable,” says Richard Burnett, RHA chief executive.
He is inviting the mayor to take a trip in a truck to view the nation’s streets: “Only by accepting our request to spend a day in the cab of an HGV will Mr Khan be able to get a proper perspective on the issues that surround those delivering London’s economy on a daily basis,” adds Burnett.
The FTA, meanwhile, is urging the mayor to consider three “quick wins” for the capital.
It wants: a review of the London Lorry Control Scheme, which restricts night-time deliveries; a congestion charge discount for the cleanest lorries and vans, ahead of the introduction of the ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone); and stronger action against rogue operators on London’s roads.
“Mr Khan must remember how crucial logistics is to London,” says Christopher Snelling, FTA head of national and regional policy.
“The capital requires 360,000 tonnes of goods delivered every day by lorry just to keep functioning. And Mr Khan’s ambition to build 80,000 new homes a year will need more than two million HGV trips to make it happen.”