The van hire industry expects the changes to the London Low Emission Zone rules to drive an increase in demand for daily van rental in early 2012, as companies based outside London rent vans for use in the capital instead of replacing any non-compliant vans in their current fleet.

Despite a rise of 17.7% in light commercial vehicle registrations in 2011, there are still a substantial number of vans on the road that fail to meet Euro 3 emissions standards and will thus have to face a £100 per day fee for driving inside the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ)  from 3rd January 2012.

November saw a 18.6% month-on-month increase in new van registrations and Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive, says that he expects the trend to continue:

“Both the van and truck market saw growth, reflecting sustained investment in new vehicles by businesses. London’s new Low Emission Zone comes into effect on 3 January, requiring drivers of older vans and trucks to upgrade their vehicles or pay a daily fee, so we expect to see a boost to registration levels next month and through the early part of 2012.”

If you need to drive into London occasionally but do not want to foot the bill for buying a new van, van hire offers the ideal solution. Most van hire companies run new vans that are no more than 2 or three years old and are often newer. All such vehicles will meet the required Euro 3 emissions standard for driving inside the LEZ.

Click here to compare van hire quotes or click here to learn more about the London LEZ.