Operating a HGV in London

Operating a heavy goods vehicle in London is considerably more complicated now than it has ever been. Operators must consider a plethora of environmental and safety regulations whilst ensuring that their drivers are suitably prepared for the challenging driving environment. The sum of this results in considerable additional costs for haulage operators.

The London low-emission zone (LEZ) covers the entirety of the capital and surrounding major towns, transport hubs and airports. The centre of London is covered by the more stringent ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ). In order to comply with the regulations of both zones, any vehicle weighing over 3.5 tonnes must comply with Euro VI standards. These regulations determine the amount of harmful carbon and particulate emissions a vehicle can emit and their introduction has rendered a considerable number of older vehicles unsuitable for operating in London. Regulations are in force year round and the penalties for failing to comply with these regulations can be significant.

Haulage operators further need to ensure that their vehicles are compliant with Direct Vision Standard (DVS) regulations. These regulations were introduced to protect vulnerable road users and require a driver to obtain a permit prior to operating within London. Permits can take a significant amount of time to ascertain and may require the operator to make changes to the vehicle prior to successfully ascertaining the required paperwork. The penalty for not having a valid permit is a fine of up to £500 for the driver.

Many haulage operators have undertaken costly fleet renewals to ensure that their vehicles are compliant with Euro VI regulations. As with any fleet renewal, these investments are significant and can place smaller operators under financial stress in order to continue their operations within London. As a more cost effective option, a number of haulage operators have elected to retrofit their vehicle with emissions reducing technology. This solution, however, is only a stop gap and the vast majority of operators have elected to renew their fleet to Euro VI regulations.

Ascertaining a DVS permit requires considerable effort on behalf of the driver and the operator and, in some circumstances, can require costly modifications to be made to the HGV. These modifications must ensure that an expanded field of view is present within the vehicle. London is an environment rich with hazards from vulnerable road users and operators may elect to both provide additional training for their drivers or to upgrade their vehicles with enhanced pedestrian and cyclist safety systems.

The regulations described above can have considerable financial implications for haulage operators in London. Significant investment is required to ensure that vehicles are compliant with both environmental and safety regulations, but, ultimately, these regulations are a net benefit to the capital. Evidence from London City Hall (LCH) has demonstrated that 95% of London is now compliant with global air quality standards and further evidence from LCH has found that road fatalities - for pedestrians and cyclists - are down 30% on the previous year. As LEZ’s are now becoming more prevalent in a plethora of cities, haulage operators must be mindful of the renewal that will need to occur within their fleet.