The FTA has rejected the London Assembly’s call for a rush-hour lorry ban in the capital, saying it is no “silver bullet” for improving safety.
A motion was unanimously agreed at City Hall yesterday proposing a series of measures to prevent incidents between HGVs and cyclists, including a ban of lorry movements during peak times following a full impact assessment.
The FTA said improving safety of lorries on the capital’s roads would require action across a number of areas, including: improved enforcement against non-compliant HGV operators; improvements to HGV vehicle design and use of technology; 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, said: “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 are needed on from all road users to make our roads as safe as they can be.”
The FTA also emphasised the importance for businesses to have goods delivered in time for the beginning of each working day in order that they are able to operate effectively and respond to consumer demands. Existing constraints – such as the London Lorry Control Scheme- make delivering off-peak difficult, it said.
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.”
He said while the FTA supported many of the London Assembly’s proposals within its motion, simplistic lorry bans were unlikely to be the best solution in terms of safety, 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.
