News

The FTA has sent a clear message to London boroughs to get their houses in order regarding parking problems, with the publication of a penalty charge notice (PCN) hotspot map. An in-depth commissioned study of 29 transport firms across the capital has enabled the FTA to produce a list of what it terms Critical Delivery Zones (CDZs) where traffic authorities need to focus resources on to improve access for commercial operators.

The four zones are: ORB (around Oxford Street, Regent Street  and Bond Street) Soho/Covent Garden Holborn and Tottenham Court Road. According to the FTA, London traffic authorities have long relied on a lack of data as an excuse for not sorting out the desperate lack of loading and unloading provision in central London.

Gordon Telling, the FTA's head of policy for London, says: "For the first time, we can press traffic authorities to invest in the areas that matter most. "We have written to the politicians at Westminster, Camden and Transport for London, urging them to seize this opportunity to support local businesses on their patch by reducing unnecessary PCN costs.

"We have already met with Westminster, which is keen to use the information to drive down costs for everyone and improve compliance, and we hope to have the same conversation with Camden and with Mayor Johnson in the coming weeks," adds Telling. Telling says the FTA will insist that all three parties have a firm plan in place by the end of the year.

Alastair  Isbister, commercial director, DHL Tradeteam, says: "The lack of loading bays in key areas in central London, coupled with the sometimes over-zealous issuing of PCNs is difficult to come to terms with, particularly because we operate a business that provides the lifeblood to an industry that is already under pressure. We therefore welcome any initiatives that would help ease the issues we face." Collectively, the 29 firms involved in the FTA study paid £13m last year in PCN fines.