Transport for London is reviewing the Freight Transport Association’s idea that a more widespread and sustained shift to out-of-hours deliveries could improve road safety.
The move comes with publication of TfL’s review of the 2012 Olympics entitled “Transport legacy – one year on”.
The association said out-of-hours deliveries could reduce congestion and interaction between goods vehicles and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians.
Night time delivery restriction plus the London lorry ban, means that there are more lorries on the road during the rush hour peak of 7-9am.
The FTA said that if restrictions were relaxed, HGV traffic would reduce during those peak hours, also reducing the potential of collisions with other road users.
It is now urging London councils to work with TfL to review the night time vehicle restrictions.
“Out-of-hours deliveries can provide real environmental, financial and important safety benefits, said the FTA’s head of policy for London, Natalie Chapman.
“This is not about a complete shift from daytime to night-time deliveries, but smoothing out the peaks and troughs over a 24-hour period to ensure greater utilisation of vehicles, reduce congestion and importantly reduce the potential for conflict between cyclists and pedestrians.”
