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Safer Lorries for London

Lorries drive just 4% of vehicle miles in London but are involved in over half of fatal collisions with cyclists. We campaign to design out danger.

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LCC has been successfully campaigning for safer lorries in London for two decades…

In 2016 our campaigning led to Mayor Sadiq Khan committing to the ‘Direct Vision Standard’, a lorry permit programme that rates how well drivers can see the road, including cyclists and pedestrians, around them.

We continued to call for the ‘Direct Vision Standard’ to be upgraded, and in October 2024 this led to more of the most dangerous lorries being removed from our streets.

Next, we’re calling for further tightening of the rules in London; Europe-wide adoption of a similar direct vision standard; and for London councils to play their part in meeting the Mayor’s target to end road deaths.

 

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Right now, we’re campaigning for London councils to match the progress made by TfL, and to play their part in meeting the Mayor’s target to end road deaths in London.

While the three-star DVS is now mandatory across London, councils can also add planning and procurement requirements to their contracts to ensure their fleets and operators have improved driver training, safer vehicles, and better construction site standards.

 

London Council Lorry Safety Ratings Further Information

Barking and Dagenham

  • Rating: 0/10 Barking Council is neither a FORS or CLOCS member. The Council says reference to FORS or CLOCS in procurement and planning terms is not applicable to them because the work is done by others.

Barnet

  • Rating: 3/10 Barnet is FORS bronze grade. Procurement for Brent Cross did require FORS membership for contractors and Barnet says FORS and CLOCS will be required in future procurements. But the council told us that ‘There are no planning specific conditions which require the developers or their contractors to be FORS graded, CLOCS members or use one-star DVS lorries.’

Bexley

  • Rating: 0/10 Bexley is neither a FORS or CLOCS member and the council told us they were not aware of any tenders referring to FORS or CLOCS.

Brent

  • Rating: 3.5/10 Brent is neither a FORS or CLOCS member but the council says major developments require a Construction Logistics Plan which in turn specifies FORS and CLOCS as a requirement for contractors. Its waster contractor Veolia is FORS Bronze grade.

Bromley

  • Rating: 1/10 Bromley is neither a FORS or CLOCS member. The council says its terms for refuse contracts specify FORS and Veolia, its contractor, is graded Bronze. The Council did not say if any planning terms specified FORS or CLOCS.

Camden

  • Rating: 7.5/10 Camden is a CLOCS member and FORS registered but not yet graded. Its refuse contractor, Veolia, is FORS bronze grade and its maintenance contractor, Ideverde, is FORS Silver grade. The borough requires FORS (Bronze) and CLOCS for all major construction works in the borough as well as driver training (included in FORS Silver and CLOCS).

City of London

  • Rating: 9/10 City of London is both FORS Gold graded and a CLOCS member. All contractors must be FORS Silver graded. The City says “Whilst there are no specific planning conditions relating to driver qualification or vehicle type, we do normally require deconstruction and construction management plans which include such details, in accordance with TfL requirements. The City of London’s Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Construction sites references these requirements.”

Croydon

  • Rating: 6.5/10 Croydon is a CLOCS but not a FORS member. It requires both FORS Silver grade and CLOCS for contractors and developers working on major developments (more than 9 units) in the borough.

Ealing

  • Rating: 3/10 Ealing is neither a FORS nor CLOCS member. Its construction contractor is FORS Gold graded and the council specfies FORS in larger contracts that are reviewed by TfL.

Enfield

  • Rating: 0/10 Enfield is neither a FORS nor CLOCS member and did not provide any information about planning or procurement conditions that specify FORS or CLOCS.

Greenwich

  • Rating: 5/10 Greenwich is FORS Bronze grade but not a CLOCS member. It requires developers to submit Construction Logistics Plans which state if they are ” using operators committed to best practice (members of TfL’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme, Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard, or similar).”

Hackney

  • Rating: 3/10 Hackney says it is not a FORS member but is a CLOCS member. The borough says that it does not have a standardised New Build Design Specification or Employers’ Requirements that specify CLOCS membership or FORS grading, however, individual contracts may stipulate that requirement.

Hammersmith and Fulham

  • Rating: 3.5/10 Hammersmith and Fulham are neither FORS nor CLOCS members. The Council says it “requires all Construction Logistic Plans (CLP) secured through the planning process to be in accordance with TfL guidance. Which includes a requirement for all fleet to be FORS graded and CLOCS members.”

Haringey

  • Rating: 6/10 Haringey is a CLOCS member but not FORS graded. Procurement contracts may specify FORS Silver and some developments may require CLOCS. A recent review of Construction Logistics Plans now requires them “to conform with Transport for London’s Construction Logistics Planning Guidance (2021) which was developed with CLOCS.”

Harrow

  • Rating: 2/10 Harrow is not a FORS or CLOCS member. Neither FORS nor CLOCS are standardised requirements in contracts but they may be stipulated. The Council says “when we request a Construction Logistics Plan (which is usually conditioned), most often, we will want to see that the contractor agrees to use FORS graded vehicles and ideally DVS compliance too.”

Havering

  • Rating: 2/10 Havering is not a FORS or CLOCS member. Some procurement and planning terms specify FORS grading and require reaching Silver grade withing 12 months.

Hillingdon

  • Rating: 2/10 Hillingdon is not a FORS or CLOCS member but it requests compliance with the standards of the Considerate Constructor Scheme, which advises adoption of CLOCS and FORS standards. The council says “Where applicable, planning conditions are included requiring developers or their contractors to be FORS graded.”

Hounslow

  • Rating: 6/10 Hounslow is a CLOCS champion for regulation but not FORS graded. Its planning conditions require a Construction Logistics Plan to be set out in the CLOCS format and which specifies that contractors must be minimum FORS Silver graded and that the developer and their contractors follow CLOCS guidance.

Islington

  • Rating: 5/10 Islington is not a FORS or CLOCS member. The council’s procurement terms require contractors “to comply with CLOCS National Standards before commencing the Works”. The council’s Code of Construction practice for relevant developments “requires developers to ensure that contractors and sub-contractors working on construction sites in Islington are FORS graded Silver or higher and are registered as CLOCS champions.”

Kensington and Chelsea

  • Rating: 3.5/10 Kensington and Chelsea is not a member of FORS or CLOCS. Developments that may cause traffic disruption must provide a Construction Traffic Management Plan which requires FORS Silver accreditation. Direct vision is required indirectly via the requirement for the FORS Silver accreditation.

Kingston upon Thames

  • Rating: 2/10 Kingston is not a FORS or CLOCS member. The council’s re-procurement terms specify FORS Silver for contractors but current contractors are either FORS Bronze or awaiting grading. The council did not provide information about planning requirements.

Lambeth

  • Rating: 3.5/10 Lambeth is FORS Bronze graded but not a CLOCS champion. Its main waste contractor Serco is FORS Silver graded. Planning conditions are decided on a case by case basis. The council says “There is no standard condition that is applied to permissions requiring FORS accreditation, CLOCS memberships or for vehicles to meet a minimum DVS star rating.”

Lewisham

  • Rating: 0/10 Lewisham is not a FORS or CLOCS member. There are no procurement or planning requirements in Lewisham that mandate the meeting FORS or CLOCS standards. The council says its own lorries meet a three star Direct Vision Standard.

Merton

  • Rating: 4/10 Merton is not a FORS or CLOCS member but says its refuse and recycling contractor, Veolia, is FORS Gold graded – this is incorrect, the firm is Bronze graded. The council says new contracts require that ‘all vehicles are compliant with Freight Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) Silver standard from commencement of contract.’ On the planning side Merton says “For major schemes we promote CLOCS and FORS; contained as part of Construction Management Plans secured by condition.”

Newham

  • Rating: 1/10 Newham is not a FORS or CLOCS member. Neither its procurement terms nor planning currently mandate FORS or CLOCS but its planning applications direct applicants to the CLOCS Construction Logistics Plan guidance. The council says “The emerging Local Plan and Construction Logistic Guidance will provide further guidance, recommending accreditation to FORS and CLOCS.”

Redbridge

  • Rating: 1/10 Redbridge is not a FORS or CLOCS member but says it is reviewing its options on membership of FORS or another standard. It also says it stipulates “that suppliers are accredited to FORS and CLOCS as part of our procurement where applicable.”

Richmond upon Thames

  • Rating: 5/10 Richmond is FORS Bronze graded but not a CLOCS member. It says its term contractor, FM Conway is FORS graded Gold (although it is currently listed as Silver) and is expected to be a CLOCS participant. On planning policy Richmond requires Construction Management Plans and says “There may be no absolute necessity to be members of FORS or CLOCS but it is generally expected that construction contractors will be members of such schemes or demonstrate practices as if they were members.”

Southwark

  • Rating: 5/10 Southwark is not FORS graded but it is a CLOCS member, according to CLOCS. Suppliers may be required to be FORS graded. The council’s Construction Environmental Management Plan requires membership of the Considerate Constructors Scheme and “employing transport operators with “Silver” standard FORS.”

Sutton

  • Rating: 0.5/10 Sutton is neither a FORS or CLOCS member and does not require FORS or CLOCS in its planning and procurement terms. It says: “We have a very small fleet as most services requiring vehicles, for example, waste services and parks are outsourced, we do not currently require FORS accreditation.”

Tower Hamlets

  • Rating: 6/10 Tower Hamlets is not FORS graded but it is a CLOCS member. It requires construction vehicles working in the borough to be FORS Silver graded. Planning requirements for larger developments state: “Construction management plans and/or delivery and servicing plans are required to show how the Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) standard has been incorporated and that fleets serving the site have Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) silver accreditation.”

Waltham Forest

  • Rating: 5/10 Waltham Forest is a CLOCS member but not FORS graded. It says “Detailed Construction Logistics Plans in Waltham Forest require developers to meet a minimum of FORS Silver, in line with CLOCS guidance. The requirement for FORS Silver is not specifically worded in planning conditions, however for a Construction Logistics Plan to be approved as a planning condition, the developer is expected to include this wording.”

Wandsworth

  • Rating: 5/10 Wandsworth is FORS Bronze graded but not a CLOCS member. It say its term contractor, FM Conway is FORS graded Gold (although it is currently Silver) and is expected to be a CLOCS participant. On planning policy Wandsworth requires Construction Management Plans and says “There may be no absolute necessity to be members of FORS or CLOCS but it is generally expected that construction contractors will be members of such schemes or demonstrate practices as if they were members.”

Westminster

  • Rating: 4/10 Westminster is not a FORS or CLOCS member. However all major developments must adhere to the “Council’s Code of Construction Practice, which requires all vehicles and their drivers servicing construction sites within the borough to be bound by the conditions laid out in the CLOCS or FORS Silver Standard as a minimum.”

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The ‘Direct Vision Standard’ rates how well drivers can see the road around them…

We’re campaigning for further tightening of the rules and stronger enforcement to take the most dangerous lorries off our roads.

Since 2021, all lorries on London’s roads had to be at least 1-star rated on the DVS, or use mitigation measures such as sensors, and now all lorries in London must be at least 3-star DVS rated, or use mitigation measures.

0-star lorries are traditionally ones like many construction tipper lorries where the driver is so high up and the wheels so big that the driver can barely see most people cycling, whereas bin lorries, airport vehicles and increasingly new cement mixers are typical of 5-star lorries.

 

In front of this 2-star lorry, the people in red cannot be seen. In a 5-star lorry, all the people would be visible.

Beside this 2-star lorry, the people in red cannot be seen. In a 5-star lorry, all the people would be visible.

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