?? Were you aware ??

FOR small businesses operating a few vans or pickups, or the self-employed, the cost of operating in and around London may have just gone up. By £100 a day.

The Low Emission Zone, designed to clean up London’s air, extended to small vans and pick ups from January 03 2012.

And the Low Emissions Zone – or LEZ – is far-reaching. It’s not just entering Central London – such as the congestion zone – the LEZ is much wider, covering most of Greater London. And it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So there’s no escaping if you are a London-based tradesman or small business.

£100 per day to work in London The cost of operating with a non-compliant vehicle is £100 a day; if you fail to pay, the fine is £500 for commercial vehicles between 1.205 tonnes unladen and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight; and £1000 for commercial vehicles that are more than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight – in both cases the fine is reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days.

But let’s face it – paying the LEZ is a cost to business no one needs; and paying the fine is extortionate.

So who will be affected? If you drive a new van or pickup, then you needn’t worry – that will be compliant with the LEZ thanks to Euro IV emission engines. The LEZ only affects those vans or pickups with Euro III emission engines because the Mayor of London wants to prevent the pollution of particulate matter – particles of tiny soot from the exhaust – which are linked with respiratory problems.

If you’re not sure if your van or pickup is compliant with the LEZ, then Transport for London, which runs the LEZ scheme, has an easy to use vehicle checker: https://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez

“I want to improve the quality of life for Londoners. By 2012 the eyes of the world will be on our city, and I am determined that we will be a cleaner, greener and less polluted city, that safeguards the health and well being of its citizens,” commented London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The Mayor postponed the original 2011 start date of this Phase 3 extension to small vans and pickups of the LEZ by over a year – the actual LEZ has been operating for larger vehicles, such as lorries, since 2008.

The Freight Transport Association reckons that operators of Y-registration (and some 51 plate) vans need to keep out of London to avoid costly charges and fines.

Natalie Chapman, FTA’s head of policy for London, said: “The penalties are such that non-compliance is simply not an option. Research by FTA shows that fortunately, most large HGV fleet operators will be fully compliant with, or prepared for, the move up from Euro 3 to Euro 4 standard engines. However, for tradespeople operating vans over ten years old the LEZ will be an entirely new consideration and, therefore, preparedness will be far lower. This is where our immediate concern lies.

“For many small businesses and sole traders, 2011 has been all about keeping afloat and the LEZ changes may catch them out. We are advising those with non-compliant vans to stay out of London, but this may prove impossible for London-based van operators.”

The LEZ operates by recording number plates – you’ve probably seen the gantries above major roads – and compares your number plate against its database of compliant vans and pickups.

Ways to avoid paying the LEZ fee Many van makers have LEZ incentive schemes to help small businesses make the leap to LEZ compliance with financial incentives for new vans. These include Citroen, Fiat Professional, Ford, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

Using daily van rental is another solution for small businesses, said Ken McCall, managing director of rental firm Europcar Group. “Rather than upgrading their fleet, business owners can opt for flexible and affordable van hire for those days when they need to operate in Greater London, leaving them free to use their existing fleet the rest of the time.”

The Road Haulage Association added that operators of larger commercial vehicles who had booked slots for retrofitting of particulate filters but where the fitting was not completed would not be penalised – provided they had placed the order prior to the 3 January deadline.

“We have been urging members to make the changes for some months now, but it is inevitable that some will leave it until the last minute. However, operators will still be fined if they are unable to provide the TfL Contact Centre with evidence that they have ordered their system prior to the 3 January deadline when the new LEZ rules come into force,” said RHA director of policy Jack Semple.

At-a-glance guide to which commercial vehicles are affected

Larger vans 1.205 tonnes unladen to 3.5 gvw registered as new before 01 January 2002 Smaller vans 1.205 tonnes unladen to 3.5 gvw registered as new before 01 January 2002 Minibuses 5 tonnes or less gvw registered as new before 01 January 2002 4×4 utility vehicles 1.205 tonnes unladen to 3.5 gvw registered as new before 01 January 2002 Pickups 1.205 tonnes unladen to 3.5 gvw registered as new before 01 January 2002

For further information Go here: Transport for London – Low Emission Zone