TfL has estimated that half of the HGVs operating in London will be banned from the city by 2024 under the Direct Vision Standard, according to the RHA.
The trade association said that during a meeting today (17 March) TfL estimated that of the 188,000 HGVs that currently operate in London, 35,000 would be banned by 2020, rising to 94,000 by 2024.
TfL added that it could not yet say which vehicles would be included in the ban.
The standard, first announced last September, will assign HGVs star ratings based on in-cab visibility. Only those with the highest rating would be allowed to enter London when the proposed standard takes full effect in 2024.
At a Clocs progress event earlier this week (14 March) TfL programme manager Hannah White urged operators to have their say on Direct Vision in the ongoing consultation, which closes on 18 April.
"It's not a done deal," she said. “It’s what the mayor is proposing, and it’s important that we have the input from everyone in this room and elsewhere so that we can make it as workable as possible.”
The RHA has expressed concern over the estimated number of affected vehicles, and suggested a conflict with new Ultra Low Emission Zone legislation coming into force as early as 2019.
Chief executive Richard Burnett said: "It’s impossible for a haulier to buy a vehicle that complies with TfL standards - as no vehicle has been assessed against any standard. It is absurd to expect businesses to invest many tens of thousands of pounds in new, clean Euro-6 vehicles only to have them banned by TfL in a little over two years' time.”
TfL queried the RHA's figures from the meeting, but did not respond to requests for further information.