In response to news that charge levels for Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) issued on London’s red routes – a network of major roads that make up 5% of the capital’s streets, but carry up to 30% of the city’s traffic – will increase from 17 January 2022, Natalie Chapman, Head of Policy – South at Logistics UK comments:

“Logistics businesses need road and kerbside access to deliver the essential items businesses and consumers in the capital need; Transport for London (TfL) has failed to identify in its research whether some businesses are receiving repeat fines due to the lack of safe and legal spots to load and unload deliveries that their livelihoods depend on. Without road design in place that supports logistics, this charge level increase will not provide the deterrent TfL intends, it will simply penalise some essential delivery and servicing activities. The costs of doing business in the capital are increasing already across the board, for example, the Congestion Charge is not returning back to its lower pre-pandemic level as was expected; now is not the time to add yet another cost without a clear strategy, particularly while London and the rest of the UK recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Logistics UK is one of the UK’s leading business groups, representing logistics businesses which are vital to keeping the UK trading, and more than seven million people directly employed in the making, selling and moving of goods. With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders and through the supply chain, logistics has never been more important to UK plc.

Logistics UK supports, shapes and stands up for safe and efficient logistics, and is the only business group which represents the whole industry, with members from the road, rail, sea and air industries, as well as the buyers of freight services such as retailers and manufacturers whose businesses depend on the efficient movement of goods.