The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says new proposals announced today by the Mayor of London for road charging based onelements such as distance travelled and vehicle emissions could be a positive step for freight operators – provided they don’t simply add cost.

The organisation, which represents half the UK’s road fleet, is interested in distance-based charging as an alternative to broad schemes such as congestion charging and low emission zones. But it says the proposals must be well planned and take advantage of new technology available.

Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London, said: “The Congestion Charge has arguably played a role in suppressing traffic demand in central London, but FTA has always argued that it is a blunt tool which fails to recognise the essential role that freight plays in serving London’s businesses, residents and visitors.

“New and emerging technology could play a pivotal part in providing a more sophisticated system that accounts for the essential role of the vehicle and the time of day and incentivises cleaner vehicles.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says he aims to reduce freight traffic in the capital by 10% by 2026.  FTA believes this is an unrealistictarget given the needs of London’s growing population and the Mayor’s agenda on demanding HGVs change shape to increase direct vision – a change which may cost load space, thus requiring more vehicles on London’s roads.

Ms Chapman added: “It costs so much to deliver into London that the road freight industry is already highly load efficient.  There may be some benefits from further consolidation we can gain, but these will be outweighed by the needs of London’s larger population.  The real gains in traffic management will come from private car use – if car users can be enabled or encouraged to switch to public transport, cycling or walking then London’s transport network could become exponentially more efficient.”

The FTA will closely monitor the implications of the new proposals for the re-allocation of road space on behalf of its members to ensure the vital role of freight in the capital is recognised and accommodated.

Ms Chapman said: “We need to ensure that any changes to road charging actually promote more efficient use of the transport network, and are not simply taxes by another name adding cost to operating and living in London.”

Consultation on the new strategy runs until 2 October, with a final plan launched in early 2018. The full consultation can be read here https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/transport/our-vision-transport/draft-mayors-transport-strategy-2017

Freight Transport Association

About the Author: John Loughran