FTA wants to scrap London’s 20-minute rule

FTA wants to scrap London’s 20-minute rule    The Freight Transport Association wants to replace London’s 20-minute rule for loading and unloading of goods vehicles before 11 a.m. with a 60-minute, 24/7 limit instead.
   The FTA said that most operators and their customers want to take advantage of the relative calm of the off-peak period but that the current law forces goods vehicles to travel in the morning rush hours, adding to the capital city’s congestion problems.
   The association also said that enforcement of the rule is inconsistent and that most councils adopt a “shoot first, ask questions later” approach.
   The benefits of the FTA’s proposed rule change would mean “operators who have more than one customer along a particular parade of shops could make a single delivery journey rather than having to return day after day to fit deliveries into 20-minute chunks,” the FTA said.
   For deliveries of a longer duration, the FTA is campaigning for a more flexible system to be put in place as part of Transport for London’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme.
   “This would give operators extended parking time limits to fit their circumstances in return for an appropriate fee, thereby encouraging legitimate businesses and allowing the enforcers to focus on the rogue traders,” the FTA said.