London Van users - The Low Emission Zone rules

[Channel Hopper]

In a nutshell almost any (diesel) van over a tonne and manufactured after 2001 will probably not pass the LEZ rules round here unless they are modified at great expense with a filter.

Anyone familiar with Zone 6 travel cards will be exempt from using the van inside the zone unless they pay a daily charge of - wait for it - £100.

An interactive map

_http://trafficalerts.tfl.gov.uk/microsite/tn2007-map.php?lez&easting=546420&northing=200746

I've just retaxed my van for a year and then realised I probably not be able to use it on half my area in 7 months time. The cost of modifying my vehicle is more than it's currently worth (stop sniggering).

This site gives you most of the data but it has still to be updated fully

_http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/

You can also find out about the Euro IV emission changes at your local garage that carries out MOTs

Rules come in on January 3rd next year so either think carefully about retaxing your 'old' van, or start looking at trading it in.

 

[Robbo]

Whew, just checked and mine's compliant, though its only one year old.


The way I read it, is that larger vans registered before 1 Jan 2002 wont meet the requirement.

 

[rolfw]

Mine's a Nissan Primastar 05 plate and compliant, thank goodness.

 

[A nonymous]

My 51 plate Kangoo is apparently classed as a car as its under 1250kg unladen

I think that makes it also exempt

The LEZ is a load of coblers if you ask me, just another excuse to releave our wallets of even more money )(-red

Nano

 

[PaulR]

Although I don't run a van and wouldn't be affected it pains me enter London at any time!

Circulating around the M25 is quite close enough thank-you. And even then that can be quite a trial. I now completely avoid the Dartford crossing and take the westerly route evn though it's longer and, nominally, takes longer.

 

[Robbo]

Driving round the M25 and greater London isn't too bad (*), but going further inwards is just not worth it. Parking at £5 or £10 an hour in some places, Yellow lines everywhere, even when not needed,congestion charging,hundreds of speed cameras, average speed of 5 or 10 miles per hour if you are lucky, and now this. I agree with Nano, just another way to get more money from the motorists pockets.

* Apart from the Toll charging booths at Dartford/Thurrock of course. The tolls cause huge tailbacks and pollution, not to mention the time wasted. It is about time the tolls were abolished.

 

[A nonymous]

I hate driving through London so as you can imagine working there is a complete nightmare for me :mad:

I got slapped with a £60 fine because the back end of my van was about a foot inside a box junction for about 10 seconds, and this was only because the tw*t infront stopped leaving enough room for a bus to get in infront of him.

I f**king hate London with a passion. :-downt

If the Thames burst its banks and put the whole of London under water i really wouldn't care

Nano

 

[Robbo]

I f**king hate London with a passion. :-downt

Ditto that!

 

[satelliteman]

I don't drive into London, simples!! ;)

 

[Lazarus]

I'm not even sure where it is.

 

[Analoguesat]

I'm not even sure where it is.

Down near Watford Gap innit?

 

[PaulR]

I f**king hate London with a passion.

If the Thames burst its banks and put the whole of London under water i really wouldn't care

Ditto that!

Double ditto here as well.

It just gets in the way of travels from the north west to the south east.

 

[2cvbloke]

I haven't been to london in a very very very very long time, thankfully...

The thing that makes me wonder about this new tax on older vehicles is, why do it? Is it not more economical to not trade in an older but fully working van to the people who own and run it? And, a lot of older vans will work beautifully on BioDiesel which modern engines are designed not to run on or require heavy and expensive modifications, and of course, in times where the british tax payer & business owner is already financially stretched to breaking point, is it going to cause more businesses to go down the pan simply because they cannot afford to do it?

I think whoever came up with this scheme has a great view of their rectum....

 

[sonnetpete]

......and people ask me why I moved to France!!!

 

[Robbo]

Take it you have not travelled to Paris then, and driven around the périphérique intérieur.. That is one mean road.

 

[A nonymous]

I dunno i thought the Champs-Elysées was a right laugh to drive round

I like driving in France, its nice to take the car to its home every now and then and get it serviced. It works out cheaper to have the car serviced and have a day in France than it is to have the car serviced here.

The only thing i don't like are the traffic islands where you give way to traffic coming on to the island. That is one mighty head f**k

 

[geordiejohn]

London is very close to costing the UK £300 million in fines for its terrible air quality, burning bio diesel and driving older vehicles around isn't going to help the air quality one bit.

 

[A nonymous]

Just because a van is old it doesn't mean that it creates pollution.

A badly serviced 18 month old modern car can cause more polution that a well serviced 20 year old car.

My 15 year old 1.7 TD Astravan emmissions were lower than my father in laws 3 year old Mondeo diesel even when the Astravan was running on biodiesel

The emmissions output also depends on how the car/van is driven.

Like i've said before and i'll say it again, its just an excuse to fleece the motorist.

Nano

 

[geordiejohn]

Just because a van is old it doesn't mean that it creates pollution.

A badly serviced 18 month old modern car can cause more polution that a well serviced 20 year old car.

My 15 year old 1.7 TD Astravan emmissions were lower than my father in laws 3 year old Mondeo diesel even when the Astravan was running on biodiesel

The emmissions output also depends on how the car/van is driven.

Like i've said before and i'll say it again, its just an excuse to fleece the motorist.

Nano

Short of testing every vehicle and driver as they enter, how would you suggest they improve the air condition in London?

Britain (not London) is already on its second and final written warning for London air quality and is facing massive fines.

I would suggest that £100 a day is more likely to exclude vehicles, it would be cheaper to hire a lower emissions vehicle and drive that in.

 

[rolfw]

Can't avoid going up to London on occasions, but it is never a pleasant driving experience, when I can I try and arrange to do the jobs on Sundays. Now the périphérique, that's a driving experience. ;)