Hackney’s ban on HGVs will ‘damage local economy’
The Freight Transport Association has spoken out against Hackney Council’s decision to introduce an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) zone from 3 September 2018, citing the detrimental effect a ban on goods vehicles will have on local businesses and the wider Hackney community.
Once introduced, two pedestrian and cycle zones in Hoxton and Shoreditch will only allow road access to vehicles emitting fewer than 75g CO2/km emissions, known as ULEVs, and local permit holders between the hours of 07:00 – 10:00 and 16:00 – 19:00 Monday to Friday.
Denise Beedell, policy manager for Vans and Urban at FTA says: "This new scheme is effectively a ban on HGVs, given that there is currently no availability of these types of vehicles on the market or even a definition of an Ultra-Low Emission Truck (ULET). It is a real shame that Hackney Council did not engage with us at the earliest stages of developing this scheme as we could have helped them avoid these pitfalls.
"The scheme is permanent and is the first of its kind. As such, we expected considerable stakeholder engagement to ensure the scheme is fit for purpose and can deliver its objectives. With the scheme starting within days, we call on the Council to commit to a robust monitoring and review process of the first six and 12 months of this scheme, and to make public the results without delay, so that a full and transparent assessment can be made of the scheme's impact on the local economy.”
