FTA’s head of national and regional policy Christopher Snelling commented: “There are three things we think the new Mayor should pursue immediately to help make London a better place to live and work.”
He said Mr Khan should first urgently seek a review of the London Lorry Control Scheme which restricts the industry’s ability to deliver at night. Moving as many lorries as possible out of the peak could help with safety, emissions and costs.
Secondly he should offer a discount on the congestion charge to the latest generation of clean lorries and vans, to encourage these vehicles into London well ahead of the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
And thirdly he should increase support for the enforcement of HGV regulations in London – targeted enforcement of rogue operators to get them off the road will be beneficial to all road users.
Christopher Snelling added: “Mr Khan must remember how crucial logistics is to London. The capital requires 360,000 tonnes of goods delivered every day by lorry just to keep functioning. And Mr Khan’s ambition to build 80,000 new homes a year will need more than two million HGV trips to make it happen.”
The FTA said it would be seeking a meeting with Mr Khan and his advisors so the role of the logistics industry in delivering a better London can be discussed.