Ultra Low Emission Zone - Be Prepared with a Euro 6 van

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be a region in London where all vehicles will need to adhere to new exhaust emission standards or pay a daily fee to drive in the region. Vansdirect prepares you for what to expect.

Why is the ULEZ being introduced?

Air quality in short, or lack of quality of the air inhaled within London. The capital's polluted air has been categorised as a 'public health emergency' by MPs and is associated with 9500 premature deaths within the capital each year.

The London major anticipates that the introduction of the charge will lead to a drop of nitrogen dioxide (NOx) figures in the air by up to half by 2020 and act as a deterrent for owners of old vans entering London.

When will the ULEZ come into force?

The start date remains under consultation, however implementation of the ULEZ is expected to begin on the 8th April 2019, in real terms it appears that the zone and charge is less than two years away from occurring.

What will the charge be?

Once the ULEZ comes into force, the drivers of the worst polluting vans will have to pay an extra £12.50, this is in conjunction with the existing Congestion Charge! The worst polluting vans will have to pay the £12.50 charge to drive in the zone; 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Which vans will be effected by the rules?

The ULEZ charge will effect petrol vans that do not adhere to Euro 4 standards and diesel vans that do not meet Euro 6 emission standards. Vans that meet these standards will not have to pay this daily charge, hence purchasing a new van now would eliminate the charge for van drivers.

What areas will the ULEZ cover?

The ULEZ will cover the same area as the current congestion zone and as mentioned previously will operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are however plans in place to outspread the zone to Greater London by 2020 and North and South Circular London covered by 2021.

Paying the fee

It is anticipated that the ULEZ payment details will mirror the existing Congestion Charge, allowing you to pay over the phone or online in advance, on the day of travel or before midnight the proceeding day. If the van does not meet ULEZ standards and the fee is not paid then a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) will be dispensed for £130! This is reduced by half to £65 if the charge is paid within 2 weeks of the notice.

How will the powers that be know I've paid the charge (or haven't)? Just the same as the Congestion Charge, the ULEZ will be watched by Transport for London using automatic number-plate recognition cameras. Logging every time you enter and leave the zone and how many times you need to be charged.

Living within the ULEZ

Drivers living in the ULEZ will be immune to the charge, but only for a limited time. They will have a 3 year 'sunset period' to change their van to a Euro 6 (Euro 4 if petrol) and from late 2023 they will be liable to pay the full daily charge.

Will the ULEZ be implemented elsewhere away from London?

Although there is yet to be confirmation of other cities following London's lead; there are signs that there will be similar schemes implemented elsewhere, as air quality campaigners continue to fight for a ban on euro 5 diesel vans entering city centres during peak hours. With statistics linking thousands of fatalities to air pollution, it seems inevitable that other large cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow follow suit with similar restrictions to the ULEZ.

Euro 6 vans on finance

Does your van adhere to Euro 6 emission standards? If not, why not do your bit to reduce harmful emissions and purchase a new Euro 6 van today? Also avoid that hefty daily charge when commuting, at Vansdirect we sell a huge range of new Euro 6 vans so ULEZ wouldn't affect you!

To enquire about a new Euro 6 van with a range of flexible finance options available, Call us now on 0845 021 0444 or enquire online for a response ASAP.