Transport for London (TfL) has urged freight operators in the UK capital to apply for a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) permit before the lorry safety scheme commences on 01 March 2021.
Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operators will soon be required to display a valid permit to work in London, however TfL has said many thousands have not yet applied.
According to TfL data, more than 50,000 safety permits have been issued. For those operators still to do so, TfL advised checking its online vehicle registration tool to see the star rating of their HGV and apply for a safety permit urgently if required.
Christina Calderato, TfL’s head of transport strategy and planning, said: “Introducing the Direct Vision Standard will be a huge step forward for road safety in London. We’ve worked closely with manufacturers, operators and stakeholders, including RoadPeace and Living Streets , to develop our new lorry safety scheme, which we’re proud to say is the first of its kind.
“With less than two months to go until enforcement begins, our latest figures show that there are still many HGV operators working in London who have not applied for a free safety permit. We encourage them to apply as soon as possible to ensure there is enough time for their application to be processed.”
TfL warned applications may take between 10 and 28 days to process.
The DVS will operate 24-hours a day, seven-days a week and will be enforced on all roads in London. HGVs will need to meet a minimum one-star rating to enable them to operate in the UK capital or will need to fit Safe System measures to improve the vehicle’s safety.
Enforcement was due to begin in October 2020 but was subsequently delayed following the Covid-19 pandemic. It will now begin on 01 March 2021, alongside the tighter Low Emission Zone.
