RHA Discusses Industry Challenges with TfL

By Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director

Today (Tuesday 23 January), I met London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance at Transport for London’s headquarters.

We had a constructive meeting and covered a range of issues including:

• The critical importance of the road freight and coach sector in keeping the London economy moving.
• Cost pressures facing hauliers and coach operators and the marked rise in business failures.
• The need for a mayoral Transport Strategy that better supports efficient freight journeys.
• Stress faced by HGV and coach drivers in and around London.
• Industry concerns over the Direct Vision Standard changes due to come into force in October 2024. 

The RHA is working with TfL, trade associations across the freight sector and our members to address the challenges our industry faces in complying with the new Direct Vision Standard changes.

From October, TfL is changing Direct Vision Standard requirements. On behalf of membership, the we have lobbied TfL extensively to express industry concerns over two issues:

• That insufficient kit meeting the new requirements is available before the October deadline
• That TfL has not provided an adequate system that assures operators are fitting the correct kit or that existing kit already meet the new requirements

The RHA continue to raise these concerns with TfL – in response, TfL have said they want proof.

We encourage operators to complete this survey to tell TfL how ready you are to meet the new requirements from this October.

We will shortly be launching our own survey on Direct Vision Standard requirements soon. Your comments and insights are highly valued. Let's work together to drive positive change for the industry in London.