1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186 
11 1 1R i I MIA it MVP a'
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Ironically, low-emission zone (LEZ) legislation (see panel. above right) hits the recovery vehicles that help keep London's traffic flowing by clearing the streets of stranded and illegally parked vehicles.
Recovery vehicle specialist Roger Dyson numbers many London-based fleets among its clients. One such company, SE1based Cedars Assist, has had to spend money earmarked for business expansion and job creation on replacement vehicles.
Owner Gary Driscoll had already pumped several million pounds into the 57-year-old London roadside recovery business, and he resents having to spend more at such short notice.
Commenting on the LFZ. Driscoll believes the long-term result will be great for Londoners but adds: "These regulations were thrust upon us so quickly that we weren't able to budget for the changes quickly enough, and it's caused us and many other operators real headaches."
Cedars Assist's award-winning team of 36 staff operate its 21 service vans, roadside rescue and transporter vehicles, as well as five heavy recovery trucks with a travelling axle trailer.
They all take pride in a fast response.
Driscoll explains 'We'd already decided to invest E250,000 in a new Daf XF Dyson Commander heavy recovery unit with a travelling-axle trailer but I find having to replace older vehicles that could have worked perfectly well in London for many more years daunting, to say the least." As his preferred supplier, Roger Dyson group suggested upgrading some Euro-2 vehicles by modifying the particulate emissions equipment. It meant transferring the perfectly good lifting equipment from three older chassis onto some Euro-3 Isuzus that were readily available.
Another elderly Dyson heavy recovery rig that has had its gear swapped onto a recent Euro-3 Volvo FM chassis will be OK to 2012 LEZ and with further exhaust modifications will run for another five years.
"This all meets important criteria." says Driscoll. "It complies with LEZ regulations, makes sound economic sense and we can continue our work of keeping the capital's streets clear of traffic obstructions." Contact: Cedars Assist 020 7237 0027.