No Phase V LEZ for trucks in 2015

The RHA has welcomed an apparent decision by London’s Mayor Boris Johnson to back down from implementing ‘Phase V’ of London’s Low Emission Zone, which would have seen all heavy trucks entering the capital restricted to emissions limits for NOx and PM equivalent to Euro 4 or higher by 2015. The current LEZ level is Euro 4 for particulate matter (PM) only. Phase V will still apply to Transport for London-operated buses from 2015, however.

While many trucks can achieve reduced PM emissions by retrofitting particulate traps, lowering NOx emissions from an existing Euro 3 truck to meet Euro 4 standards would prove more of a technical challenge. The testing process is also far more complex than for PM, which can be judged by measuring the opacity of exhaust gases.  
 
RHA Director of Policy, Jack Semple, said: “We do not have the exact details but it appears that the Mayor’s announcement reflects many of the points for which the RHA has argued strongly in meetings with Transport for London (and also in our consultation response on Air Quality to Defra in August 2011).
 
“Our case has always been to leave the regulations surrounding HGVs as they are and put any investment into improving buses. These have big diesel engines which are running (and therefore polluting the atmosphere) most of the time and spend their working life the London area.
 
“In terms of goods vehicle specification for 2020, we would want to see details of what is proposed. There is much work to be done in analysing the performance of different technologies and until that is completed it will not be possible to have a clear view of their relative merits. Electric, hybrid, gas and dual fuel are options that are currently being looked and hydrogen will be on the scene by then also. But we should not underestimate the excellent, low-pollution performance Euro VI diesel engines for HGVs are expected to deliver.
 
“As far as goods is concerned, the cleanest, safest and most economical way to make deliveries in London is often in large trucks and we are pleased that this is increasingly recognised by regulators.”