The RHA and FTA have warned that hauliers operating under the London Lorry Control Scheme (LLCS) face extra costs and unnecessary legislation if proposed changes go ahead.

The proposals, launched last week for consultation by London Councils, would require HGVs of 18-plus tonnes to fit sideguards and Class V and V1 mirrors as part of their LLCS membership.

London Councils said ex- tending the scheme’s remit to cover safety, rather than simply noise pollution, would be a positive step towards reducing the number of cycling fatalities in the capital. There are 56,000 scheme permit holders.

However, Christopher Snelling, head of urban logistics and regional policy at the FTA, said: “[We are] concerned on the grounds of regulatory creep: an out-of-date scheme designed to deal with noise is now being turned to safety measures. TfL and the DfT are looking to regulate on this issue.”

John Howells, RHA director – southern and eastern region, said the cost of retrofitting the required safety equipment to existing fleets could be significant, “especially if you’ve got vehicles coming to end of their life and you are looking to replace them".

"Are you going to have to change earlier, which might be a cost you’re unable to afford, or do you spend a lot of money on retrofitting equipment on vehicles that won’t be used for much longer,” Howells said.

Both associations are calling on London Councils to review the purpose of the LLCS.

Operator Aspray24 told MT that its fleet is fitted with sideguards, extra mirrors, Fresnel lenses and in-cab reversing aids. However, operations director Ian Barclay is con-cerned about additional legislation being introduced. “We should not be bringing in new vehicle requirements on the back of existing legislation. Construction and Use regulations are in place to ensure vehicles comply to a standard. If these are not satisfactory, we should develop an appropriate set of regs,” he said.

The consultation ends on 28 February.

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