Commercial vehicle operators 'replacing models ahead of LEZ reforms'

Date: 23/8/2011

With new rules set to be introduced for London's Low Emission Zone in January 2012, heavy and light goods vehicle operators are getting ready.

From this time, larger vans, minibuses and some other vehicles will be required to comply with the Euro 3 Standard on particulate matter (PM), which means that they will only be able to release a set amount of this substance when in the capital and no more.

Lorries, buses and coaches will have to meet the Euro IV standard. This is part of the UK capital's move towards complying with the legal benchmarks for air quality that are set in Europe.

According to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), vehicle operators are already taking steps to prepare for this.

However, the majority of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) owners are opting to replace their current motor with a new - and greener - model that complies with rules on PM, rather than having their existing truck retrofitted.

Meanwhile, those firms with an operating centre based outside the city revealed they would consider redistributing their older vehicles to other parts of the country where LEZ rules are not in place.

Natalie Chapman, FTA Head of Policy for London, says: "Due to the financial constraints of recent years, operators have chosen to stretch the lives of their existing fleets, but the new LEZ requirements may have forced their hands into replacing their oldest and least compliant vehicles."

Van drivers appeared to be more prepared, with ten per cent admitting that not all of their fleets meet the new rules, compared to 45 per cent of HGV operators.

Posted by Nick Anderson