The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy Mayor of London 89
proposes a review of taxi ranks and stopping arrangements. Minicab offices
can generate noise, particularly late at night. Their suitability in terms of
local land use and amenity is primarily a matter for borough development
planning and related enforcement. In the future, quiet hybrid-electric drive
and fuel cells may well become particularly appropriate technologies for
high mileage vehicles such as taxis and minicabs.
proposal 14 Transport for London will, as part of wider taxi and private hire vehicle
initiatives in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, consider practicable and costeffective
ways to minimise adverse noise impacts, especially at night, in
order to ensure that taxis and private hire vehicles can maximise their
contribution to accessibility and environmental improvement in London.
Fleets and facilities of GLA and functional bodies and other
emergency services
4A.66 The Greater London Authority’s procurement policies seek to minimise
vehicle use and noise alongside other environmental objectives. Where
practicable, tenders place a requirement on contractors to state relevant
policies. Relevant GLA ‘functional bodies’ - Transport for London, London
Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, and the Metropolitan Police
Authority (the London Development Agency does not have a vehicle
fleet) - also take noise into account, although, of course, the safe and
effective operation of the police, fire and ambulance services requires the
generation of sound. It is recognised that emergency sirens can create
repeated disturbance, including at sensitive times and places. However,
trained, responsible personnel in the emergency services must retain
operational discretion as to when and where sirens are used. For example,
it is not only necessary to alert other road users to fire service vehicles on
the way to an incident, but to alert building users and passers-by to the
possibility of fire having broken out in premises.
Box 32: London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority,
Fire Brigade
The Brigade is replacing many fire applicances. Within the first 5 years of
new contractual arrangements, by April 2006, 104 new pumping
applicances, 61% of frontline fleet, will be replaced. New units are quieter
when running at an incident to supply water, power and air. Support
vehicles, such as vans and light commercial lorries, are being replaced.
Those replaced so far use the latest technology to aid efficient diesel fuel
injection, which will lead to quieter engine operation. All future vehicle
replacements will include reduction of operating noise as an item in the
design requirement specification. All 120 old-style ‘rapid intervention
sets’, using noisy 2-stroke engines, have been replaced with new units
using 4-stroke ‘whisper’ engines. A fleet of 45 new light portable pumps