Claire Alleguen, TfL, writes

Earlier this year we wrote to you about our consultation on proposals for a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). The DVS aims to address the issue of HGV and vulnerable road user safety in London.

The DVS establishes a star rating for HGVs from zero (lowest) to five (highest) based on how much a HGV driver can see directly through their cab windows, as opposed to indirectly through cameras or mirrors. Under the proposal ‘zero star rated’ HGVs would be banned or restricted from London’s roads by 2020, and only HGVs rated three stars and above would be allowed into the Capital from 2024.

For full details and to share your view, please visit our consultation website at: www.tfl.gov.uk/vision-standard-phase-one

We welcome your views, so if you have not yet submitted your response, please note the consultation will close on Tuesday 18 April 2017.

Donata MacCrossan writes

The Mayor Sadiq Khan today confirmed that the £10 Emissions Surcharge, also known as the ‘T-Charge’, will start in central London on October 23 this year, at the start of the autumn half-term.

Up to 10,000 of the oldest, most polluting vehicles are potentially liable to pay the new emissions levy every weekday, which will apply to motorists who own vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 standards. This typically includes those diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006.

The T-Charge will operate on top of, and during the same operating times, as the Congestion Charge (Monday to Friday 7am-6pm), so it will cost £21.50 to drive a pre-Euro 4 vehicle in the zone.

It will mean that:

·         All vehicles subject to the £11.50 (or £10.50 for autopay) Congestion Charge (ie not entitled to an exemption or discount) that do not meet the Euro 4/IV standard, would qualify for an additional daily £10 T-Charge when entering the Congestion Charging zone within operational hours (Monday - Friday, 7am - 6pm, excluding Bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year).

·         All vehicles that receive a ‘9 or more seats’ 100% Congestion Charge discount (e.g. minibuses, coaches) and do not meet the Euro 4/IV standard would need to pay a daily £10 T-Charge.

·         There are some additional discounts and exceptions to the ES, as described below under Discounts and Exceptions.

Check if you’re eligible

To help motorists, the Mayor today launched a free online vehicle checker so that drivers can check whether their vehicle will be affected by the T-Charge. The Vehicle checker can be found on our website- www.tfl.gov.uk/emissions-surcharge.

Tackling air pollution nationwide

The Mayor wants to work with the Government to help tackle dangerous air pollution once and for all. We have published a proposal for a national vehicle scrappage fund that financially compensates motorists, many of whom bought diesel vehicles in good faith, believing that diesel was a ‘cleaner’ option. The report, which was presented to Government last week, can be found on our website here: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/proposal-national-vehicle-scrappage-fund.pdf

If you have any questions about the T-Charge, or about the Mayor’s air quality strategy, please visit https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/improving-air-quality or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

TfL Consultation Portal

Angela McConville, TfL, writes

Please see below a message from London Underground.

Station staff who are members of the RMT and TSSA unions are currently planning to strike from 18.00 on Sunday 8 January for 24 hours. If the strike does go ahead, it will mean severely reduced services on Sunday evening and Monday. We will try to run as many services as possible, but customers are advised to complete their journeys by 18.00 on Sunday, and that most Zone 1 stations are likely to be closed throughout the action.

Should the strike go ahead:

-       Although National Rail services would not be directly affected by the strike, there would be no Underground services from key interchange stations such as Victoria, King’s Cross, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, Bank and London Bridge

-       Piccadilly line services would still run between Hammersmith and Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 and 3, but there would be no service to Terminals 4 or 5

-       There would be no service at all on the Victoria or Waterloo & City lines, and all other lines would be severely affected with limited services in outer London

-       For customers travelling to Canary Wharf from central London, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) services will be running, however they will be busier than usual. River services will also link central London and Canary Wharf

-       Customers using the DLR are being advised that there may be changes to services towards Bank, with trains instead terminating at Shadwell or Tower Gateway

-       Roads and rail services would be expected to be busier than usual, particularly those bus routes serving major interchange stations.

All customers are advised to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk/tube-strike and use the live update services @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.

Emma Gaydon, TfL, writes

This is just to let you know Tower Bridge reopened to all traffic at 12noon today (Thursday 22 December), following the completion of the City of London’s essential maintenance work.

The diversion routes have been removed and the Congestion Charge will be back in place from 07:00 tomorrow, Friday 23 December until 18:00. It will be suspended from Saturday 24 December until Monday 2 January 2017. The daily charge will apply again from Tuesday 3 January.

Please note any drivers following the free diversion route, which had been in place, for the rest of today (Thursday 22 December) will not have to pay the congestion charge.

All the best for the festive season­­­

Emma Gaydon TfL writes

There are a number of planned works which will impact the road network from the beginning of January 2017, especially around Blackfriars/Victoria Embankment and Cannon Street.

Thames Tideway Tunnel construction at Blackfriars/Victoria Embankment

Tideway is building the new sewage tunnel under the River Thames, and will start construction of a connection shaft alongside Victoria Embankment from Monday 2 January 2017. The construction site is between Blackfriars and Temple Avenue.

The westbound traffic on the Victoria embankment slip road will be on diversion from Monday 2 January 2017 until 2021. For vehicles travelling westbound that need to access Victoria Embankment, signed diversion routes will be in place:

·         Travelling north on Blackfriars Road: Stamford Street, IMAX roundabout, Waterloo Bridge, Strand, Arundel Street and Temple Place

·         Travelling south on New Bridge Street: Fleet Street, Strand, Arundel Street and Temple Place

Please note there are no height, weight or width restrictions on the diversion route apart from a length restriction of 40 feet on Fleet Street. Vehicles longer than 40 feet should use Stamford Street.

From Monday 2 until Monday 23 January, full closures will be in place to traffic in both directions on the Victoria Embankment slip road as follows:

·         21:00–05:00 each night from Monday 2 until Friday 20 January

·         From 05:00 Saturday 21 until 05:00 Monday 23 January

On these dates westbound traffic will be diverted along Fleet Street (note length restriction), Strand, Arundel Street and Temple Place. Eastbound traffic will be diverted along Puddle Dock Lane and Queen Victoria Street.

The existing loading bays on Temple Avenue/Victoria Embankment along the westbound lane will be suspended from Monday 2 to Thursday 23 January.

At the end of January, Tideway will start building a connecting shaft for the new sewage tunnel, further west along Victoria Embankment between Northumberland Avenue and Horse Guards Place. Two-way traffic will be maintained.

For travel advice, please visit www.tfl.gov.uk/victoria-embankment

More information available on the Tideway website at www.tideway.london

Emergency gas works on Victoria Embankment
National Grid are carrying out emergency works on a gas leak on Victoria Embankment at the junction of Temple Avenue. All lanes are open to vehicles, but with a speed restriction of 20mph and a slight reduction in the width of traffic lanes. Please note National Grid may need to alter these works depending on the severity of the gas leak. If the road layout changes we will let you know as soon as possible.

Westbound closure of Cannon Street from 2 January 2017
To support the Bloomberg Development, the City of London will be closing Cannon Street westbound between Monument and Mansion House for six weeks, starting on Monday 2 January.

Roadworks over the festive period
As you will have seen from the Freight Bulletin, works continue at Upper Holloway with planned closures of the A1 Holloway Road due to continue until mid-January whilst the bridge is replaced. Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes are not permitted to use the signed diversion route and the ban is being rigorously enforced. For the HGV diversion route, please click here.

The traffic switch for A1 Archway A1 takes place on Saturday 17 December. Click here for more information. Please click here for the latest information and traffic impact maps for other major schemes. Click here (MailChimp tracker link) for an update on the Tower Bridge works.