London changes kill off older vans and commercial vehicles

Posted on January 11^th 2012

Christmas bought grim news for many commercial vehicle insurance customers working in London.

A tightening up of the emission controls in force in the London Low Emission Zone means that many commercial vehicle operators will be faced with extra charges if their vehicles don't conform to new standards.

For the last three years coaches and lorries have been subject to charges if they do not meet certain emission standards. But from 3rd January 2012 those rules apply to larger vans and minibuses over ten years old.

As well as having to have the correct commercial vehicle insurance, owners of such vehicles will now have to pay £100 a day to enter the Low Emission Zone. The Zone is enforced by CCTV cameras with operators watching vehicle movements in and out, and the fine for non-payment is £500.

The Low Emission Zone should not be confused with the Congestion Charge area. The Congestion Charge area is smaller and covers part of the City and West End. The Low Emission Zone, in contrast, covers most of Greater London inside the M25.

Commercial vehicles less than five-and-a-half years old are likely to conform to the new emission standards and therefore can move around in London without paying any charge unless they need to go into the Congestion Charge zone. Some older vehicles may be able to be converted to meet the new regulations as well, and the Transport for London website (link below) has full details.

But for those businesses who can't afford to replace older vehicles, the daily charge will be a big extra cost. Depending on how often a business drives in London it could be far higher than any commercial vehicle premium.

Related links

Transport for London

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