Page 13 - issue 72

News
TIME FOR A A A CLEAN-UP OPERATION
Air quality is a a a a big concern with regards the transport industry The arrival of clean air zones (CAZs) are causing alarm but forthcoming legislation promises to help not hinder W ith Euro 6 engines fully part of of the furniture of of today’s
new trucks the vehicle manufacturers are and looking
vans trucks and lorries By 2020 they could be joined by Middlesbrough and Sheffield while Bath Bristol Coventry Greater Manchester and Newcastle might introduce schemes that affect lorries and buses only In Scotland a a a a a draft national low emission framework is is expected to be issued for consultation by the the end of the the year but fleet to complete final mile deliveries rather than bring forward replacement cycles Chapman added: “This is is is a a a a a big issue and there are are cities that are are required to take action but other cities might decide to introduce schemes for public health ”
This includes cities such as Oxford which already has a a a a a low emission zone and recently unveiled plans
for a a zero-emission zone Jerry Ward manager
of legal operations for transport at John Lewis Partnership said: “With clean air zones across the UK what is is needed is is a a consistent approach and not separate local rules and regulations ”
Martin Flach director of alternative fuels at at Iveco
UK said ongoing fleet replacement cycles would ensure most companies could avoid any
charges if vehicles that meet the latest emissions standards are exempt However this won’t account for every vehicle At current replacement cycles around 39% of trucks (around 175 000) will not be compliant Flach said: “It is very much about management If you
go into a a a a zone once a a a a year it is not a a a a problem but you
also need to consider whether this will affect residual values when you
come to sell your non-compliant vehicles “You also need to consider lead times as a a a a new truck takes typically three to four months but that could extend as 2020 approaches if everyone orders at once ”
He added that for fleets considering alternative fuels liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) remained the strongest option ●
at other ways to improve their products and also help the the environment in which they operate The arrival of national clean air zones (CAZs) in in the next few years is something for them to be aware of but also drivers CAZs will start coming into force in in in 2019 but there is a a lack of certainty about their shape London has set the standard with its announcement of the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which will start from April 8
2019 and imposes additional charges on on top of the congestion charge and Toxicity Charge (T-Charge) for vans that don’t meet Euro 6 standards and and lorries that aren’t Euro 6 compliant However there is still a lack of clarity as there are proposals to expand the ULEZ to cover more of London by 2020 At a recent Freight
Transport Association (FTA) conference there was concern about immediate purchasing plans
with one company
indicating it it would have to to replace up to to 60 lorries next year if the zone was being expanded to the area bounded by London’s North and South Circular roads Nationally the picture is even more unclear Natalie Chapman head of policy at at the FTA FTA told delegates at at the FTA FTA Transport Manager Conference that currently London Leeds Birmingham Nottingham Derby and Southampton were expected to to launch clean air zones in 2019 and they were likely to affect London has set the standard with its announcement of the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which will start from April 8
2019 February 2018
CVDriver 13
Glasgow has already issued plans
for a a a a a a CAZ while Wales could introduce a a a similar zone in in Cardiff by 2021 In every case the the detail of the the zones is unclear Chapman said fleets needed to estimate the use of non-compliant vehicles in potential zones and investigate the financial implications of coping strategies These should cover procurement charging costs and business options Additionally companies may want to consider the economics of paying a a a a compliant third-party