On 8th April 2019, a 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) came into operation in Central London. The costs for entry for vehicles that did not meet the latest Euro VI Emissions targets were heavy: daily charges of £12.50 for those up to 3.5 tonnes and a swingeing £100 for vehicles over the 3.5 tonne level.
And then, on August 29th this year, the scheme was expanded to cover all 32 London Boroughs. This naturally impacts on motorists driving non-compliant vehicles, but also on hauliers and delivery companies operating outside Central London, but with vehicles not meeting the requirements of an expanded ULEZ. These can be faced with the unwilling decision of having to increase charges to customers to assist with their operating costs.
However, Relay was and still is a compliant operator. This is because we prepared for the establishment of the Ultra Low Emission Zone through strategic vehicle acquisition. Our vehicles delivering into all the Greater London area operate from our Head Office in Iver, Buckinghamshire, are all Euro VI compliant.
Tom McMahon, our Operations Director, explained back in 2019 that Relay carries out an annual vehicle refreshment programme, which at that time was strongly focused on meeting ULEZ requirements. “We were planning for the Ultra Low Emission Zone for the past two years, and have successfully reached the position where our entire Iver fleet, with its comprehensive range of 18 tonne, 12 tonne, 7.5 tonne and 3.5 tonne Mercedes vehicles, can enter the ULEZ area free of charge.”
The investment in new vehicles for all three Relay depots is a continual priority so that we will always meet the latest Euro VI Emissions targets.
Euro VI compliance, which was effective from September 2014, includes the regulation that diesel vehicles are not allowed NOx levels above 0.08g/km as opposed to the 0.18g/km permitted under the previous Euro V standard. At Relay we are proud to be doing our bit for the environment by ensuring our fleet is ULEZ compliant and more.