Why we support the ultra low emission zone initiative

As most of you know, the Ultra Low Emission Zone  (ULEZ) is coming into effect in London on April 8th 2019. We get why this is happening. Climb up Parliament Hill on an average day and you can see the smog hanging over London. If you’re walking in the city, or cycling to work you’re breathing in the toxic air that chokes our streets. So, Sadiq Kahn, the Mayor of London, has introduced the ULE, to combat the CO2 (carbon dioxide) and NOx (nitrous oxide) emissions created by cars and vans in Central London.

The cost of green transport

We bought our lovely Greenkit VW transporter van in February 2017, and opted for diesel because we were told it was a greener option. Well, guess what, it’s not, and since our van is second-hand (a Greenkit policy) it fails to meet the strict Euro 6 emissions standards for diesel vans! That means that we’ll be charged £12.50 for every day the van travels within the Congestion Charging Zone (CGZ).This is on top of the £10 per day congestion charge.

How the ULEZ will affect you

It seems daft, as well as not very green, to scrap a perfectly good van that we’ve only had for 2 years. So we’ve opted to pay the charge until we can find an cost-effective, greener alternative. We wanted to let you know that from April 8th, we will be increasing our transport rates within the CGZ to cover this £12.50 surcharge. All our competitors, and all courier companies whose vehicles don’t comply, will be in the same situation, but not all of them will tell you about it.

That’s why we wanted to come clean and let you know the situation. As you know we’re committed to making the greenest choices we can. In fact our second vehicle is a hybrid car, which is exempt from both the congestion and the ultra low emission zone charges.

As soon we find an affordable, sustainable alternative we’ll get an electric van. Until then, you’ll still get great lights, delivered when you need them at a fair price – that’s a promise.