Think before you drive into London’s Low Emission Zone
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John Watts, head of commercial vehicles at CAP, considers the effects of the London LEZ
MANY TRUCK operators are oblivious of the major change to the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) emissions limits that comes into force on 3 January 2012, and which could have signiicant consequences for their operations.
From that day, trucks with particulate matter emissions that do not comply with a minimum of Euro-4 levels will be charged £200 a day to enter the LEZ, broadly deined as inside the M25.
This means that trucks with Euro-3 (or older) emissions levels will not comply unless they are it
ted with an appropriate particulate trap. These are likely to cost between £3,000 and £5,000 depending on model, but do not improve emissions of other pollutants such as NOX or CO2.
Even if operators do not intend to route their vehicles within the LEZ, there are certain traps that will catch out the unwary.
For instance, if a Euro-3 level truck should break down on the M25 and need recovery to the nearest truck workshop, which is likely to be within the LEZ, then the operator will have to pay the daily charge of £200 in order to drive the vehicle from the workshop following repair.
Another downside to the legislation is that operators that retroit particulate traps to older vehicles are likely to be forced into keeping those vehicles longer than intended in order to gain maximum return on the additional investment. This could keep older, less eficient and more polluting trucks on London’s streets for a longer period than originally intended.
When operators wake up to these implications, they might well look to purchase used Euro-4/5 trucks. These are already increasing in value due to raised demand relative to low supply, so any further appetite will continue to enhance values further.
CAP’s advice to operators and dealers alike is to visit the Transport for London website, view the information, and then examine vehicle replacement cycles and act accordingly.