The Road Haulage Association - the RHA - has recently waded briefly into the quagmire of politics to petition the next Mayor of London - unknown at the time - to help with supporting the commercial vehicle sector. To this end, they have outlined a list of things which they believe will help to support the commercial vehicle sector and thus have made a list of changes for 2024 and beyond.
Growing Needs
To ensure that the correct needs are met during the next year or two, the RHA has put together what they call the ‘Supplying London – The Road Freight and Coach Industry Manifesto for London’ document. This is a manifesto which outlines exactly what the sector feels it would benefit most from, and was designed ahead of the elections, meaning that it was tailored for no specific leader or party.
There are numerous recommendations throughout the document. One notable example is the request for a dedicated freight commissioner to be appointed and act as a person who will aim to help manage and coordinate logistics-related policies and decisions made in government and also serve as a liaison between officials and the commercial vehicle sector. It also calls for the establishment of a ‘freight council’ located in London.
Other requests include a need for proper access for vehicles to be properly maintained, and to have a commitment from both the Mayor and Transport for London to identify and help maintain freight routes through the capital, which the RHA says will help to reduce both congestion and help with air quality in the city.
Changes For a Better Future
Other requests made by the RHA include things like the Mayor needing to consider prioritising traffic on these routes for the purpose of allowing HGVs to navigate effectively and without being held up - this involves giving them new access to bus lanes.
They also want a guarantee that there will be proper infrastructure projects and developments put into place which help to ensure that there are not only proper loading bays in place when new buildings are made, but also that there is suitable kerbside access for the sake of making deliveries.
Richard Smith is the RHA managing director and had this to say on the subject:
“We are committed to working with the next Mayor of London to ensure more efficient freight and coach journeys.
Our members based in the capital stand ready to work with the next Mayor to take forward the priorities within this manifesto and ensure London’s commercial vehicle sector has the support it needs.”
It is thought that these changes will be made possible thanks to the reelection of Sadiq Khan, who has, at time of writing, been elected for a third term as Mayor. His familiarity with the needs of London and consolidation of power should put him in a prime position to offer support and help to people. At least, that’s the general idea - only time will tell what the industry is able to accomplish.