Here at Alexanders, we know all the tricks of the trade when it comes to getting large vehicles through the busy streets of London.
Before you take the plunge and drive a lorry or van in the capital, read on to discover our top five tips for keeping safe, legal and sane!
1) LEZ
LEZ stands for Low Emission Zone. It covers most of Greater London and if your vehicle doesn’t meet certain emission standards, then you’ll have to pay a daily charge to drive it in the LEZ.
Cameras automatically read your number plate when you enter the LEZ and check it against a database.
The rules were tightened in 2012 to include more vehicles so take a look at Transport for London’s interactive LEZ map to check your route and find out if your vehicle is affected.
2) LLCS
If you’re planning to drive an HGV through London, then you need to know about the LLCS (the London Lorry Control Scheme), which restricts the movement of HGVs in London at night and at the weekend.
Avoid getting a penalty charge notice by visiting the London Lorry Control website to find out more.
3) Congestion Charge
You have to pay £10 a day to drive through parts of London between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Take a look at the Congestion Charge Zone map to check your route or you’ll be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to pay £130. Ouch.
4) Parking
You don’t want to be lugging boxes further than necessary on moving day but you’ll get a ticket if you just park up wherever you fancy. Luckily for you we don’t mind sharing our hard-won knowledge about how to get permission to park.
Read our Parking in London Guide – a complete list of parking bay suspension rules and dispensations, council-by-council.
5) Bikes
If you’re not used to driving a large vehicle make sure you know where your blind spots are and remember you’ll be taking up much more of the road when you turn, so you need to be extra vigilant about cyclists and motorbikes, especially those Boris bikes that are often hired by visitors who don’t know London and may not be used to driving on the left.
If you’re worried, you could avoid the Cycle Superhighways and take a look at Transport for London’s Driver and Cyclist Safety Tips before you set off.
How we dealt with a big lorry challenge
We recently moved a customer from their flat on a busy street in Maida Vale to a new property at the end of a narrow drive with large gates.
Our experienced Move Manager knew we wouldn’t be able to reverse our usual 7.5 tonne lorry through the gate and down the drive, so we decided to use a smaller Luton van. A smaller vehicle would mean more trips so we adjusted the move schedule.
On the day, the Luton just squeezed through the gates – without a scratch – and we only had to make one additional trip. Result? One happy customer:
“I have to say, I thought the guys were absolutely excellent. They were on time, very careful, efficient, helpful and friendly. I would have no hesitation in using them again and would be very happy to have them do the return leg in two to three months’ time.” Matt, Maida Vale.
If you’d like us to help you move home or business, call Alexanders on 0333 800 2323 and speak to one of the team.