The Road Haulage Association has released the results of its latest survey, which shows overwhelming support within the heavy goods vehicle sector for an extension to the grace period for compliance with London’s new Direct Vision Standard (DVS) regulations. The survey, conducted earlier this month, targeted HGV operators serving London, with 89 per cent of respondents in favour of a 12-month extension.
RHA Managing Director Richard Smith expressed gratitude to industry members for their participation in the survey and highlighted the ongoing concerns regarding the tight timeline for retrofitting trucks with necessary safety equipment.
“I’d like to thank our members and the industry for responding to our second survey,” Smith stated. “There is still significant concern from operators about the timescale they’re expected to retrofit their trucks with new equipment. This is why we ran a second survey – following one we conducted earlier this year – to get an updated picture of our sector’s readiness to comply with the new standard.”
Smith emphasised the representative nature of the survey, which included responses from large, medium and small operators. According to the results, 57 per cent of respondents are not confident in their ability to install compliant equipment by the current deadline, underlining the need for an extension.
“We are still collaborating with partners and continuing our dialogue with TfL so that firms have the clarity and confidence to invest in the required safety equipment,” Smith added. “Your input gives us clear and concise evidence to share with TfL and TEC as we call for the grace period to be extended by a year.”
The new DVS and Progressive Safe System (PSS) rules, set to take effect on October 28, 2024, require HGVs over 12 tonnes with a DVS star rating below three stars to be equipped with additional safety technologies, including Blind Spot Information Systems (BSIS) and Moving Off Information Systems (MOIS).
The cost of compliance is significant, with the RHA estimating an industry-wide expense of around £0.6 billion. This includes the cost of retrofitting, estimated at £3,000 per lorry, and the opportunity cost of vehicles being out of service during modifications.
Chris Ashley, head of environmental and regulatory policy at the RHA, has previously highlighted the disproportionate impact on smaller hauliers compared to larger companies and the importance of financial support from Transport for London (TfL) to help manage these costs. Speaking to Trans.iNFO, Ashley also highlighted ongoing concerns about the availability of compliant equipment and the feasibility of meeting the October deadline.
“There are still concerns within the industry about the timescales and doubts remain about the availability of compliant equipment. Hauliers need more time and we are clear that an extension to the ‘grace period’ is needed,” said Ashley.