Page 10 - issue-27

News
More congestion charging upheaval ahead for London
fffAs if van drivers and operators in London didn’t have enough to worry about already,
The London Assembly Transport Committee has now proposed that changes to the London Congestion Charge could be introduced to reduce LCV traffic in the centre of the capital during peak times.
In a letter to Transport for London (TfL), Valerie Shawcross, chair of the Transport Committee, suggested a feasibility study could be conducted to determine whether an “improved road charging system” might reward more environmentally-friendly LCVs with lower tariffs.
The Federation of Small Businesses said congestion charges had led many delivery companies to add on
a surcharge to delivery bills, which was difficult for SMEs in London
to pass on to their customers as it damaged competitiveness compared to businesses outside the city.
An FSB congestion survey found 46% of businesses feel the C-Charge should be reduced during off-peak hours while 34% said it should increase in peak periods. Almost 40%
said the tariff should be cut for greener vans.
Van drivers could be affected by changes to London’s Congestion Charge
f10 TVD lssue 27 2016
The Transport
Committee also said businesses should be encouraged to switch to night time deliveries to reduce congestion during busy periods but recognised “the barriers some businesses face in changing delivery times” (such as staff working hours).
It called on local authorities to
ensure their planning policies do not prevent changes to delivery times but also acknowledged the danger of exposing residential areas to noise.
The committee said consolidation centres, where goods are dropped at a hub and taken to their final destinations by fewer vehicles, could reduce traffic.
fffffAre YOU geared up for using AdBlue in your van?
Many van fleets are underprepared for the use of AdBlue in new models that meet Euro 6 emissions legislation, says Arval,
a leading vehicle leasing and fleet management company.
Euro 6 for LCVs took effect at the start of September, although compliant vehicles have been making their way onto fleets for some time.
Eddie Parker, commercial vehicle consultant at Arval UK, commented: “The initial feedback we have been receiving from many fleets using these vehicles is that they are underprepared, especially when it comes to keeping drivers informed about AdBlue. Certainly, it is not uncommon for drivers to find out that they have an AdBlue equipped Euro 6 vehicle when the
low tank warning message flashes on the dashboard for the first time. You can imagine their confusion.”
He added that AdBlue, in itself, was not difficult to deal with but that fleets needed to put some basic policies in place to cover its use.
“There are questions to answer.
Will you always make AdBlue a dealer responsibility? Will you note the time or distance between servicing intervals? Will you
allow drivers to refill? If the latter, will you allow them to use only manufacturer-supplied AdBlue or will other brands be made available?
“There are also some points to address around the use of AdBlue. For example, some manufacturers suggest that it is only handled when wearing gloves and goggles because it can cause skin irritation.
“For fleets who would like guidance, we are able to provide help and consultation to our customers in all of these areas, as well as providing standardised advice on the use of AdBlue for LCV fleets and drivers”