Analysis suggests that all traders traveling to London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) extension may not have enough vans for sale if they want to upgrade their older cars to comply with emissions limits. I’m here.
According to data from Auto Trader, which is used by about 80% of UK car retailers, there are only 5,181 vans for sale on the online marketplace in London and the South East of England.
The total for the UK is 23,803.
But the report (pdfA study commissioned by Transport for London (TfL) last year estimated that there are currently 30,000 non-compliant vans entering the ULEZ expansion area from outside Greater London each day.
A ULEZ is an area where vehicles that do not meet certain emission standards have to pay a fee of £12.50 per day to drive, and are subject to fines.
The scheme currently covers areas within London’s North and South Ring Roads. Under Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plans, it will be expanded across Greater London from 29 August 2023.
To avoid ULEZ charges, diesel vehicles, which make up the majority of vans, must be Euro 6 standard, which generally covers vehicles registered after 2016.
A delivery van driver or salesperson entering the zone in an old van every day would cost more than £3,100 per year.
Drivers who fail to pay face a daily penalty of £160, halved if paid within two weeks.
The average price for a diesel van that meets emissions standards is £23,972 on Auto Trader.
That’s £6,500 more than a non-compliant van.
‘Real concern’
An Auto Trader spokeswoman said the expansion of the ULEZ is “a real concern for the thousands of van drivers who are already struggling to cope with high inflation.”
“The number of ULEZ compliant vans on sale in London and the South East represents only a fraction of the estimated 30,000 vans that will be affected, with the majority spending thousands of pounds extra to get to work. We are facing the prospect of paying,” he said.
According to a report commissioned by TfL, assuming people shut down service to the ULEZ extension area and two-thirds of them upgrade their vehicles at an average net cost of £13,300 per vehicle, non-compliant LGVs The total cost of the company to use. Between 2023 and 2030 he is expected to reach £359m, with companies outside Greater London contributing £96m and companies within the ULEZ expansion area contributing £263m. increase.
The report also said some businesses and merchants with non-compliant vehicles have stopped serving customers within existing ULEZ areas because the extra costs made them uncompetitive, according to stakeholder feedback. It was suggested that
A Khan spokesman defended the mayor’s decision to expand the ULEZ.
“The mayor has made it clear that the decision to extend the ultra-low emission zone across London is one of the most difficult decisions he has had to make, but with nearly 4,000 Londoners It was necessary as they were still dying from the toxic air.
“85% of vehicles outside London are already ULEZ compliant,” said a spokesperson.
“For those who haven’t, the mayor is making the biggest ever move to help small businesses and Londoners who need it most amid the cost of living crisis, including low-income people and Londoners with disabilities. announced a plan to dispose of £110 million.”
According to figures released in July 2022, one-third of all applicants to existing decommissioning subsidy schemes received financial support. Broken down by vehicle type, a quarter of van and minibus drivers, 40% of car and motorcycle drivers, and 29% of large vehicle drivers successfully applied.
The analysis came when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged Khan to reconsider after the mayor’s office was accused of manipulating the outcome of public consultations on the ULEZ expansion. Khan’s office denied the allegations.
The Conservatives of the Greater London Authority (GLA) said last week that a media campaign during the talks had boosted support for the scheme, with thousands of emails against the expansion dropping out of a key part of the talks for technical reasons. released a document suggesting that it was excluded.
A Khan spokesperson said: “Any suggestion that TfL or the mayor tried to influence the outcome of the ULEZ talks is completely untrue.”
Council resists ULEZ
Suburban councils run by Conservatives in London have also banded together to resist expansion.
according to Research by Imperial College Last year, ULEZ “made only a small improvement in air quality.”
In a joint statement issued on 13 January, the London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley and Harrow said they were “not satisfied with the justification for expansion and continue to strongly oppose it”. .
“Until we see compelling evidence to the contrary, it is my view that the plan will not be successfully applied to suburban London, and that the adverse effects on local households and economies far outweigh the marginal air quality benefits. This is our position,” the statement said.
Bromley City Council leader Colin Smith evening standard Last week, the coalition council said it was investigating whether the ULEZ expansion was legal and was considering writing to Khan’s office “for further information to prove the legitimacy of the decision”. rice field.
Sutton and Harrow council leaders also say they will not sign an agreement with TfL to install the additional cameras needed to enforce the regulations.
Extending the scheme to the suburbs would require the installation of 2,750 enforcement cameras that read license plates and check for violating vehicles.
This week, councils in Sutton and Harrow confirmed that TfL will refuse to sign a “Section 8” agreement that allows cameras to be installed on roads under parliamentary control. This may delay deployment.
PA Media contributed to this report.
Lily Zhou is an Ireland-based reporter focusing on UK news. Lily said she attended the Chinese version of The Epoch Times for the first time before she focused on the UK in 2020.