October 28th saw enforcement of the next phase of the Mayor of London’s Direct Vision Standard (DVS) commence. This means that if your trucks that are over 12 tonnes, do not have a three star DVS rating or do not conform to the new Progressive Safety System (PSS) and you haven’t asked TfL for an extension to get the PPS work carried out then you will be receiving a £550 penalty charge per infringement each time your truck enters the LEZ/DVS zone, (reduced to £275 if paid within 14 days).

Most trucks will not confirm to the three star rating and above, unless you operate an Econic, Dennis Elite or similar low entry cabbed trucks. The latest models from truck makers are more likely to hit the standard, but the vast majority of the UK’s trucks over 12 tonnes will not meet this star rating.

DAF XD 5 star DVS RTX 2024
Five star DVS rating for the DAF XD 44 tonne 6×2 tractor unit

My Truck was OK What’s Changed?

You may well have been in and out of London in the past with your additional mirrors and cameras making your truck ‘compliant’, but TfL have moved the goalposts to a new standard which means that you should invest in some new kit.

To ‘help operators out’ TfL have agreed to extend the deadline for the enforcement of the new standard until 4th May 2025. But the right to this extension is not automatic – you should have applied for it. If you are reading this now and thinking about applying then you are too late.

Full information about the scheme, including details of the technical specifications of the new standards, can be found on the dedicated TfL website. This page also contains contact information for operators to speak directly with the DVS enforcement team.

The RHA and Logistics UK commented, “With 216,000 vehicles in scope of the new DVS Phase 2 regulations, operators should have ensured their vehicles were compliant ahead of the 28 October deadline,” the organisations said. “TfL has been clear from the outset that there will be leeway on the deadline for implementation, so it is up to operators to ensure they have installation works scheduled and, if necessary, have applied for the grace period in plenty of time, to ensure the sector can continue to deliver for London, its businesses and its consumers.”

Scania City Safe Window
The P-series cab has the ability to achieve a 3-star Direct Vision Standard (DVS) rating when equipped with Scania’s City Safe window