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Ramifications of the LEZ
Page 19
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I recently talked about the London LF7 with the transport manager of the UK's leading film and 11/ lighting company. The LEZ affects 50% of its fleet -about 80 vehicles. Many of their trucks barely move in a year, especially when on a major film contract. Like me, this firm decided to invest in the most expensive particulate filters for most of its 'non-compliant' vehicles.
This cost can't be passed on as they're competing against Continental operators, so that's £250,000 off its bottom line and to what end? How can these vehicles be regarded as major polluters of the London environment? Many of them go outside the UK, even outside the FU, when they're working.
Gordon Brown decided during his term as Chancellor to destroy the British film industry. He eventually relented but it seems TfL has taken up this challenge. Film and TV catering specialists might be hit harder than any other operators; it's rumoured that two will throw in the towel. Can they be replaced?
A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO?
Even after all this time arid research, I'm still scared stiff of the LEZ. At the end of November I heard that people have had a particulate trap/filter fitted, presented their truck for a Low Emissions Certificate test at a Vosa test station... and been turned away. Why? Because their combination of engine and filter system hasn't been registered and approved by TfL and/or logged in the Vosa system.
Sometimes it's a case of Vasa staff not knowing where to look to find the information. Only 10 minutes is officially allowed for this test but in practice it takes at least 30. I was told that initially TfL presented Vosa with a four-page list of compliant engine/exhaust system types -this has now grown to 86 pages.
A helpful man at my local Vosa testing station gave me a list and said: "Check it. it might save you a lot of money." I did so and sure enough, there was my engine. Or was it? Closer inspection revealed a one-letter difference at the end of the type number.
A call to Eminox confirmed they had registered my engine type with their exhaust system ages ago. Phew! But nothing in TfL literature warns you to do this check so be warned.