Few traffic regulations are as out of date as the 20-minute rule, which allows unlimited time for loading and unloading of goods vehicles in designated bays before 11 o’clock but limits activity to a ridiculous 20 minutes thereafter. The Freight Transport Association wants it brought up to date with a 60-minute, 24/7 limit instead.

At its recent meeting, FTA’s Greater London Freight Council heard that the rule was introduced many years ago to encourage deliveries before 11.00am but that now most operators and their customers want to take advantage of the relative calm of the off-peak period. Instead, the current rule forces more goods vehicles to drive in the morning rush hours - adding to congestion.

Enforcement of the rule is patchy too. Whilst some Councils give operators a fair chance to demonstrate that loading or unloading is taking place, most adopt a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ approach, exploiting the sad truth that for many operators it is cheaper to pay a wrongly issued Penalty Charge Notice than to divert staff and money into making an appeal.

Extending the time period for legitimate activities would have other benefits – operators who have more than one customer along a particular parade of shops could make a single delivery journey rather than having to return day after day to fit deliveries into 20-minute chunks.

For deliveries of a longer duration, such as car transporters, brewery drays and removals firms, FTA is campaigning for a more flexible system to be put in place as part of TfL’s Freight Operator Recognition Scheme or similar initiatives outside of London. This would give operators extended parking time limits to fit their circumstances in return for an appropriate fee, thereby encouraging legitimate businesses and allowing the enforcers to focus on the rogue traders.