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Second-Hand News - Vans On British Roads At All-Time High
New analysis by Direct Line business insurance of government statistics reveal the number of vans on the roads in Great Britain has hit a record high...
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ULEZ – How Is It Affecting Tradespeople?
According to the government, poor air quality affects city dwellers, while in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has imposed an unloved Ultra-Low Emission Zone to cut vehicle pollution. How is ULEZ affecting the trades?
The ULEZ has expanded across all London boroughs, meaning more drivers are now facing daily charges.
This has sparked outrage among many drivers, including tradespeople who travel daily to complete work in various locations around London. Below, the experts at MyJobQuote.co.uk, a trades matching site, go over everything you need to know about the ULEZ and how it’s affecting people in this industry.
What Is The ULEZ?
The ULEZ is a fairly new traffic control method introduced by the government to help cut the number of old or non-compliant vehicles on the roads in the capital. As a result, the government hopes to significantly reduce the levels of traffic pollution.
Owners of diesel vehicles that do not meet the Euro 6 emission standards and petrol vehicles that do not meet the Euro 4 regulations are subject to a £12.50 daily charge for driving in the ULEZ. This applies to motorcycles, vans, cars and specialist vehicles up to and including 3.5 tonnes. It also includes minibuses up to and including 4 tonnes.
Vans, lorries, and specialist vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and minibuses and coaches over 5 tonnes must pay the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fee if they do not meet the current emission standards. This fee amounts to £100-£300 per day.
Both the ULEZ and LEZ charges are in addition to the current £15 daily congestion charge, which applies to all vehicles and covers all of central London.
How do the new ULEZ rules affect tradespeople?
Transport for London estimates that just 1 out of 10 cars driving in London will be subject to the ULEZ charge. However, due to the nature of tradespeople's work, they often have no choice but to use non-compliant vehicles, including vans, trucks and larger vehicles.
Many tradespeople in the region are already paying the LEZ charge. Transport equates to one of the highest costs for tradespeople and this cost increase is difficult to pass on to consumers – especially in the current cost-of-living crisis.
“I just don't go into London at all anymore. The ULEZ charge and the congestion charge are just ridiculous. Then the bigger problem is when you get anywhere near the west postcodes, it's finding parking;
– Martin Moore
Owner, M Moore Decorating & Tiling Services
How are tradespeople adapting to ULEZ?
In some cases, tradespeople may be able to swap their current work vehicle for one that is compliant with the ULEZ rules. However, not all tradespeople are able to do this while still effectively running their business.
Where it is not possible to swap to a compliant vehicle, tradespeople will have to increase their prices to cover the additional costs, meaning homeowners will end up paying more for trade work.
In other cases, tradespeople may simply avoid the London area or relocate to another region that isn’t implementing these fees. This means that homeowners across the London area may struggle to find tradespeople to complete the work they need and when they do, they will be facing higher prices for the work.
How is MyJobQuote helping?
MyJobQuote, an online platform where tradespeople can search for jobs within their area, has added a new function to bypass ULEZ zones. When searching for a job, a tradesperson can now tick a box that excludes jobs within a ULEZ zone to avoid any charges.
Director of MyJobQuote, Carl Meredith, says: “We’ve built a feature that allows trades to know if the jobs they wish to service are within ULEZ, enabling them to cost and plan jobs effectively. This has been one of the most requested functions from our trade members recently.”
Scrappage?
In an effort to help with the cost of altering or replacing non-compliant vehicles, Transport for London has introduced a £110m vehicle scrappage scheme.
This scheme allows sole traders and tradespeople working for a business with 10 employees or less to claim between £7,000 and £9,500 towards the cost of the transition to a ‘cleaner’ vehicle. You can find out more about the different claim allowances on the Transport for London website.
Picture: How is ULEZ affecting tradespeople?
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
12th October 2023