The Freight Transport Association has warned commercial vehicle operators to keep their older vans out of London as the new Low Emission Zone comes into effect on the 3rd January 2012. This will apply to Y-registration and some 51 plate vans, as well as even older vans.

If you run a fleet of vans (or just one) and want to understand the new charges being applied, then the FTA has produced an LEZ compliance guide which is available for FTA members to download at www.fta.co.uk/lez

If you are unsure if your van is compliant or not you can also check this by entering your vehicle registration mark at the Transport For London website. This will also affect minibuses and motor caravans as well.

Natalie Chapman, FTA’s Head of Policy for London, said,”The penalties are such that non-compliance is simply not an option. Research by the FTA shows that fortunately, most large HGV fleet operators will be fully compliant with, or prepared for, the move up from Euro 3 to Euro 4 standard engines. However, for tradespeople operating vans over ten years old the LEZ will be an entirely new consideration and, therefore, preparedness will be far lower. This is where our immediate concern lies”.

If you are a small business running an older van and you need to get a new van quickly then we have the full range of commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes on van contract hire available now. The LEZ requirements mean that vans will have to meet Euro 3 standards if you want to avoid a fine of £500, or face a daily charge of £100 to operate in and out of London.

Do you need a new van?

London’s new Low Emission Zone requires larger vans, minibuses and other specialist diesel vehicles to meet “Euro 3″ emission standards if they are able to drive freely in the new zone, which comes into effect on the 3rd January 2012. Research conducted by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has found that out of the 3.57 million vans on UK roads at the end of 2012, over 31% were not eligible.

The new legislation will result in many van operators having to pay a daily charge to enter the zone. Usually, “Euro 3″ vehicles are those that have been registered after the 1st January 2002, so if you run a commercial vehicle that is older than 10 years from January next year, you may well be affected.

Paul Everitt, Chief Executive of the SMMT, said,”It’s not only emissions that improve when owners and operators upgrade, fuel efficiency also gets better, returning real-world benefits on top of the LEZ savings. SMMT anticipates a slight rise in commercial vehicle registrations in this last quarter of 2011 as owners and operators buy-into more efficient, compliant vehicles. 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.” 

If you are thinking about changing your commercial vehicle then we have all models available now on contract hire.

Further information about the Low Emission Zone can be found at the TfL website.