The statement came at a meeting of the House of Commons transport select committee and has prompted the Freight Transport Association to question Livingstone's motives. 'The mayor seems to have realised and appreciated the essential nature of goods vehicle operation and the powerful reasons for excluding them,' said a spokesman. 'By he seems to be including them for political reasons and for an apparent lack of confidence in an enforcement scheme able to identify the difference between legitimate goods vehicles and others.' Livingstone said yesterday he had not excluded commercial vehicles from the scheme as he feared some Londoners would see the opportunity to 'go out and buy white vans'.
According to the FTA, this decision for 'apparently trivial reasons' will cost UK industry £40million a year in charges plus the costs and inconvenience of operating within the scheme.
The London markets had also been critical of the congestion charging scheme which is due to come into operation next year. Only Borough lies within the charging zone, but New Covent Garden is on the edge with many deliveries inwards and outwards as well as customers likely to have to pay the charge.
The FTA is 'imploring' the mayor to think again and exclude goods vehicles even at such a late stage.
