Van owners urged to act ahead of new LEZ rules
Fresh concern has been raised that a significant number of vans in the UK will not be eligible for London’s Low Emission Zone when new rules are introduced on 3 January 2012.
Figures from the SMMT indicate that as of the start of 2011, over three in ten vans (31.1%) would not meet the capital’s carbon emissions requirements and be charged for entering certain areas of London.
Owners of larger vans, minibuses and certain other specialist vehicles who enter the LEZ without meeting the required level of emissions will be hit with a £100 daily charge or risk a £500 penalty. The aim is to clear up London’s smoggy and polluted reputation but there’s more to it than just cleaner air as SMMT Chief Exec Paul Everitt explains.
“It’s not only emissions that improve when owners and operators upgrade,” says Everitt. “Fuel efficiency also gets better, returning real-world benefits on top of the LEZ savings.”
The SMMT boss also expects to find that sales of commercial vehicles increased in the final three months of 2011.
“We anticipate a slight rise in commercial vehicle registrations as owners and operators buy-into more efficient, compliant vehicles,” he added.
“The CV market has been strong all year and is up 20% for the year-to-date. It’s clear that those businesses and individuals running vans and trucks in the capital have already begun to renew their vehicles and we’ll be watching with interest how the market performs over the next few months.”
To find out if your van meets the LEZ’s standards, visit lowemissionzone.tfl.gov.uk/b/pb/lezComplianceProvideVRM.faces.
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