London’s new ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) charge is to be expanded to the North and South Circular boundary from 25 October 2020. So, what implications will this have on your London move?
The charge applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is being phased in across the capital in an attempt to limit levels of harmful toxic gases and particulates a vehicle is allowed to produce. Since charge came into force in 8 April, new figures show the number of worst polluting cars and vans driving into central London has dropped significantly.
We all want cleaner air for our cities, but despite adhering to recent European emissions standards, the majority of removal lorries in operation do not meet the stringent new low emission required. As a result, businesses are subject to the higher charges when carrying out home moves in central London.
Lorries entering the new emissions zone face a daily charge of £100, with a penalty fare of £1,000 if the charge is not paid within two weeks.
The Mayor of London has promised a scrappage scheme to cover business owners running vehicles in the city centre, but, most firms are unlikely to be in a position to upgrade their fleets by 2020. This means that people moving within central London are likely to see the costs of their removal increase to cover the charge, adding extra fees to an already costly process.
To get around the higher charges, some removals firms have taken to using up to four higher-polluting smaller vans (under 3.5 tonnes) for large home moves, but this only leads to more pollution and congestion.
At Burke & Wills, we’re working towards using more cleaner vehicles. We currently operate a fleet of large modern trucks and vans that meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 emission standards and we continue to upgrade our fleet to meet the new ultra-low emission zone standards.
