Rush-hour lorry ban is not the answer to improving safety in London, says FTA
Banning lorries from city streets during the rush-hour is not the ‘silver bullet’ solution to improving safety in London, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) has argued. In a statement issued yesterday (4 November) in response to calls for a ban from the London Assembly, the FTA argued that the focus should instead be on: rigorous enforcement against heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators who are not complying with safety regulations; improvements to HGV vehicle design and use of technology; more driver and rider training; better infrastructure on London’s roads, and “a better culture of using the roads carefully and safely by all users”.
Christopher Snelling, FTA Head of Urban Logistics, commented: “The proposal for a rush-hour lorry ban is not a silver bullet solution. What we are looking for is improved safety for everyone, and there are many elements which should be considered. For example while early morning is rush hour for cyclists, the peak time for pedestrians is later – we need to ensure that solutions do not bring unintended consequences. Better awareness, training and behaviour is needed from all road users to make our roads as safe as they can be.”
The FTA also stressed how important it is for businesses to have goods delivered in time for the beginning of each working day, adding that existing constraints such as the London Lorry Control Scheme make delivering off-peak difficult.
Snelling added: ““Will the London Assembly now call on London Councils to reform the night time lorry ban? Where deliveries can be made outside of the peak, then we should find ways of enabling that to happen. At the moment they are not allowed to operate outside of the peak time.
“FTA supports several of the items recommended by the Greater London Authority, but simplistic lorry bans are unlikely to be the best solution in terms of safety and could lead to an increase in emissions and congestion (if deliveries switch to smaller vehicles), as well as making it harder to operate the businesses that London depends on every day.”
