Greater Londons ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) will be extended to cover the whole of the London borough for truck operators & couriers in October 2020. Small vans and cars in inner London will come into scope the following year.

While some large logistics operators will have mostly compliant fleets, the real losers here will be smaller companies reliant on lorries or vans.

Small firms tend to buy second-hand so will have older courier vehicles that do not reach the latest emissions standards, and will really struggle to raise the loans they will need to buy compliant delivery vehicles a few years earlier than they would have.

For a typical small firm running 5 delivery vehicles, the additional cost of compliance in 2020 or 2021 would amount to more than 40 percent of annual turnover, thereby risking the company’s business model.

The reality is the ULEZ in London is not a transformative measure – it only brings forward the air quality gain that was coming anyway by a few years, at a cost to the livelihoods of many small businesses in London.”

For courier operators that are based inside the expanded zone but who need more time to meet requirements, ldifferent clauses will be needed.