Road Legal

The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) will be introduced on 4 February 2008, with a phased introduction through to January 2012. It is designed to improve London’s air quality and is administered by Transport for London (TfL). More information on the LEZ can be found on TfL’s website . The LEZ covers most of the Greater London area, but does not include the M25 itself. For a more precise geography see TfL’s LEZ map.

What vehicles does LEZ affect?

• From February 2008, lorries over 12 tonnes must meet a standard of Euro-3 for particulate matter (PM)
• From July 2008, HGVs, buses and coaches between 3.5 and 12 tonnes must meet a standard of Euro-3 for PM 
• From October 2010, vans between 1.205 tonnes unladen and 3.5 tonnes and minibuses must meet Euro-3 for PM  
• From January 2012, lorries over 12 tonnes, buses and coaches must meet Euro-4 for PM

Emissions legislation specifies certain particulate matter levels as well as other pollutants. However, LEZ is not concerned with others such as Nox.

Who automatically complies with LEZ?

Many HGVs and vans will be unaffected. First check your V5 registration document for the vehicle’s date of manufacture. Vehicles registered after 1 October 2001 should be compliant, as should those Euro-3 vehicles registered before this. Other vehicles registered before this date may still comply (see below).

Do any Euro-1 or Euro-2 vehicles comply with the LEZ?

Yes. Four Euro-1 engines are known to comply with the particulate matter rating for Euro-3.  Most Euro-2 engines will comply with the LEZ without modification. Check your engine on TfL’s eligible engines list.

How do I make my truck compliant?

Non-compliant vehicles must be upgraded with a particulate trap to a Euro-3 standard. This typically costs between £3,000 and £4,000.  Otherwise a non-compliant vehicle needs to be replaced or the daily charge of £200 paid for entering London. HGVs fitted with an exhaust after treatment device can be tested for compliance by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA). It has been paid £288,000 to perform free acceleration smoke tests and issue Reduced Pollution Certificates, or Low Emission Certificates to those vehicles which pass. The test costs operators £28, or £17 if carried out as part of the annual test. Details of the particulate trap or other device should be given when the test is booked.

Low emission zone charges and fines

Alternatively the vehicle can be replaced or a charge of £200 a day can be paid for taking a non-compliant vehicle into the capital.  For most operators this would only be viable for exceptional journeys. The charge should not be confused with penalties of up to £1,000, payable if you do not comply and fail to pay the charge.

Do I need to register for the LEZ?

Most UK vehicles will not need to register. TfL will take all registration data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and VOSA. However, if your vehicle is registered outside the UK, in Northern Ireland or may qualify for a discount (eg a showman’s vehicle), you must register. It is also worth all operators checking that DVLA has the correct vehicle information as mistakes do occur.

Criticisms of the Low Emission Zone

The LEZ’s aim is to improve air quality by discouraging the use of pre-Euro-3 trucks on the capital’s roads, on the basis that larger vehicles are more polluting. However critics point out that the number of cars completely dwarfs that of trucks making the LEZ utterly ineffective. It is also considered by critics to be prohibitively expensive to London’s commerce. A feasibility study into the cost to business commissioned by TfL put the cost of total fleet compliance at £300-£470m.

While the Showmen’s Guild won an exemption for fairground vehicles, other groups running specialist trucks such as the British Association of Removers did not. The BAR says the cost to its members, and therefore the public, of replacing specialist trucks which are designed to have long commercial lives is wasteful and prohibitive. The Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association have both campaigned against the LEZ. FTA says the scheme shows the economic importance of the road transport industry is not recognised or supported.

It also claims the industry has had too little time to prepare and compliance may now be affected by extended lead times on new trucks.The Road Haulage Association says LEZ claims are misleading and damage the public perception of trucks.

Other LEZ issues:

• LEZ regs all hot air
• LEZ flawed and costly
• LEZ warning for pre-registered Euro 3s