The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) could spark disaster for supply chains, with European hauliers not prepared to deliver into London, according to Kent-based Rendrive Haulage.
The company is pleading with the mayor to review its implementation after MD Tony O’Malley said he had been told by its continental partners that they were refusing to deliver materials into the capital.
He said: “We run construction consolidation centres within the M25, which are detailed on the TfL [Transport for London] consolidation centre directory and we have been notified by major European hauliers that they are no longer able to deliver material into us because it means entering the DVS zone within the M25.
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“European Euro-6 fleets from 27 countries numbering tens of thousands are now not permitted to enter London and until recently were not aware in many cases of the London requirement for DVS.
“In any case, as one major operator told me, he was not prepared to pay near a hundred thousand pounds for a local standard just to deliver to one city in the UK when he delivers to hundreds of cities and towns elsewhere,” O’Malley added.
“I do not think this wider aspect of the DVS implementation is known widely enough.”
Concerns about DVS compliance have been growing ahead of the 1 March enforcement start date, with SmartWitness claiming less than 20% of affected HGVs have been modified.
Enterprise Flex-E-Rent has also warned about an influx of DVS safety permit applications and that renting might be the best solution for some HGV operators.