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Zone of contention

6th September 2007
Page 9
Page 9, 6th September 2007 — Zone of contention
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Owner-driver Dick Flute continues his quest to comply with the LEZ and asks whether it has really been thought through.

suppose getting an LEC (Low Emission Certificate) for my Euro-2 Renault was a vain hope. But many trucks will pass despite their age -Scania, for example, tells me that five of its Euro-2 engines meet Euro-3 particulate levels, and I know of a much-used Euro-2 Scania that has passed the test. Volvo is even more upbeat, saying all its engines produced after 1993 meet Euro-3 particulate levels (or did when they left the factory).

When I went for my LEC, the Vosa staff I met had a strong opinion of Ken Livingstone and TfL... never in 30 years have I heard such language at a testing station. I was told that every day recently, people that have been coming to the testing station for many years have been saying goodbye. Situated near the edge of the proposed low-emission zone, this test station takes in many customers from outside the zone. From February 2008 those customers will need to pay 2200 to travel the few miles within the zone to reach the testing station for their annual test if they run non-compliant vehicles.

There are many thousands of little-used commercial vehicles in and around Greater London which the operators surely can't afford to replace with new vehicles -not least the gritter/snow plough trucks wheeled out each winter. But according to TfL the only exemptions allowed will be vehicles designed and built for mainly off-road use, such as agricultural and forestry tractors, mobile cranes and road-building machinery. Note the 'road building' clause here are there to be no exemptions for the specialised construction trucks needed in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics?

Only three other categories of vehicles are exempted: historic vehicles registered with the DVLA before 1973; military vehicles; and showman's vehicles which are "permanently fitted with equipment forming part of the show". But nearly all fairground and similar operators tow trailers their trucks are either artics or ballast tractors or have generators fitted.

Many believe the introduction of the LEZ will be a major disaster; others still believe it will never happen. But remember, the LBTS (London Boroughs Transport Scheme) was introduced at a cost of millionsand achieved almost nothing.

The search continues on 20 September.

"There are thousands of littleused CVs in and around Greater London which the operators surely can't afford to replace"

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Locations: London

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