Drivers demand 12-month delay to London ULEZ expansion in August

The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has called for a 12-month delay to the ULEZ expansion set to take effect in August, which will cover almost all of Greater London.

The delay would help tradespeople and businesses in the building supply industry have extra time to switch to ULEZ-compliant vehicles.

It has been warned that certain areas of Greater London could become “no-go” areas for builders and other tradespeople.

The BMF has written to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressing concern about the expansion which will affect millions of drivers.

It also called for a targeted scrappage scheme specifically for commercial vehicles, to run in conjunction with the scheme currently in place.

John Newcomb, CEO of the BMF, said: “The BMF is calling for a targeted commercial vehicle scrappage scheme and is supporting calls for a 12-month delay to the ULEZ expansion, scheduled for August.

“BMF members recognise the importance of air quality and as responsible employers our members take a number of steps to ensure fuel efficiency and the health and wellbeing of staff.

“However, we firmly believe that a 12-month delay to the start of the ULEZ expansion will allow businesses and individuals to prepare – especially in relation to the availability of compliant vehicles.”

The national trade body said e-cargo bikes or carts were not an option for its members who rely on HGVs, trucks and vans when transporting building materials like bricks and timber.

Data from Transport for London found that 51 percent of vans in outer London did not meet the ULEZ requirements at the end of last year.

To be able to drive inside the ULEZ charging area, petrol vehicles need to have been registered after 2005 (Euro 4) and diesel vehicles after September 2015 (Euro 6).

Mr Newcomb continued, saying that small and medium enterprises may have to choose between paying daily charges to work or replacing their vehicles.

He highlighted how the second-hand vehicle market is not yet sufficient enough to supply the number of vehicles required, like HGVs and vans.

He added: “TfL’s suggested options for ‘last mile’ deliveries – such as e-cargo bikes – may be ideal for some industries, but by the very nature of our trade, we have no choice but to use HGVs, trucks and vans to deliver our products, which is why we have long favoured a targeted scrappage scheme for commercial vehicles.”