The London Ultra Low Emission Zone – Don’t Get Caught Out.

If you have a fleet which is active in the London area, then you need to consider stringent new policies regarding HGV’s operating within the nation’s capital from the 8th April 2019. The London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will see a charge for HGV’s that do not meet Euro 6 standards for vehicle emissions. This could lead to operators being charged huge amounts of money each and every day to operate around the capital, unless their fleet is brought up to the standard required.

What is the London Ultra Low Emission Zone?

The London ULEZ was first announced in 2014 as the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone and has been developed with the intention of halving vehicle emissions in London. The idea behind it is to reduce air pollution by discouraging highly polluting traffic from entering areas of high air pollution. If these highly polluting vehicles (any HGV pre Euro 6) enter the zone, then the operators will face a £100 daily charge to travel. It is estimated that NOx emissions from HGVs will be reduced by close to 50%.The ULEZ is planned to cover the same area as the existing London Congestion Charge Zone in it’s initial phase. Subject to future consultation, the TfL plan to expand this ULEZ to become a London wide charge for all HGV vehicles.

How does the ULEZ compare to the current T-Charge?

At present the T (or Toxic) Charge requires that vehicles are Euro 4 compliant. This allows a number of HGV’s that are quite ‘advanced in years’ to be able to avoid the charge. The T-Charge is also in operation between Monday – Friday 7am-6pm and excludes bank holidays. The charge for non-compliant vehicles is £10 per day.When the ULEZ comes into effect, HGV vehicles must be Euro 6 compliant to avoid the charge. There are also changes in the hours of operation – with ULEZ being in force 24/7. No longer will operators be able to simply work around the charge, they must take proactive steps to avoid paying the £100 per day.

I don’t operate in London, why should I care?

As stated, London represents the first ULEZ in the world to date. The government has outlined plans which will allow local authorities to introduce their own clean air zones. This means that we could soon see similar restrictions in place in other areas of the UK.

What should I do?

There is an increasing need for operators to be proactive in ensuring that their fleets meet Euro 6 standards, especially if they are going to be operating within London. We suggest:

• An urgent audit of your fleet to assess the number of vehicles which may no longer be suitable.
• Look at replacing any existing Euro 4 or Euro 5 trucks that you may have in your fleet. As standard all new Isuzu Trucks and new MAN Trucks are Euro 6 Compliant.
• Get help if you are confused – Get in contact with us and we can help you through any assessments.

Replacing Your Fleet – Aquila Can Help.

If you come to the conclusion that there are vehicles in your fleet that need to be changed to become ULEZ compliant, then we at Aquila Truck Centres can assist you. From sourcing new trucks to replace your current fleet (with part exchange a possibility) to parts and servicing, we really can offer everything you need.