Logistics operations face London commercial vehicle curbs from March 2021

Commercial vehicles entering London will need to run at a minimum of Euro-6 from 1 March 2020, as logistics operations have to comply with tighter Low Emission Zone standards.

The move means that logistics operations in the capital now have to run commercial vehicles registered on or after 1 January 2014.

The Mayor’s office in the capital will offer grants of £15,000 to scrap a heavy vehicle and replace it with a compliant vehicle, or to retrofit diesel vehicles up to Euro-6 standards. It said that more than 100 organisations had already pre-registered interest in the scheme, which operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

The increased LEZ standard comes the same day as enforcement of TfL Direct Vision Standard (DVS) begins. The safety scheme is designed to reduce blind spots in HGVs of more than 12 tonnes, with a safety permit system that assigns vehicles a star rating based on how much the driver can see directly through their cab window.

Logistics UK (formerly the FTA) Head of Urban Policy Natalie Chapman, said: “We have raised concerns with TfL regarding the economic impacts these schemes would place on the industry. Therefore, given the immense financial and operational pressure the Covid-19 pandemic has placed on logistics businesses, we are disappointed to see the Mayor of London has not further delayed the introduction of both schemes.

“In order to meet the necessary requirements of the DVS scheme, a significant proportion of vehicles will need to have additional equipment fitted. However, there are no financial support packages to assist with DVS compliance which will make delivery of the Mayor’s Vision Zero strategy more costly during this difficult time.