Eminox warns that a last minute scramble to comply could result in fines of up to £1000
Coach & Bus Live, NEC, Birmingham, 5 October 2011 – with less than three months to go, until new rules for the London LEZ come into force, Eminox, the UK’s leading retrofit emissions technology manufacturer, says that time is running out to ensure vehicles are compliant in time for the deadline.
Buses and coaches over 5 tonnes will be required to meet the new tougher standard of Euro IV for particulate matter at the same time as it becomes compulsory for minibuses under 5 tonnes with 8 or more passengers to meet Euro III standard. Retrofitting is cost-effective for operators who make 15 or more journeys into the zone and is proving to be a popular option in the current economic climate.
Transport for London estimates that 75,000 vehicles are non compliant with the tighter phase IV LEZ requirements coming into force from 3 January 2012. With more than 20,000 of these expected to take the retrofit compliance option, 2 to 3 times the number retrofitted for the 2008 phases.
From 3 January 2012 operators will have to pay a daily charge of £200 for every non-compliant bus or coach that has to go into the LEZ or face a fine of up to £1,000. Larger minibuses face a daily charge of £100 or a fine of £500.
Mike Galey, Director of Marketing at Eminox says: “Many operators have already taken action however, we urge those who haven’t to contact our specialist team now, otherwise come January 2012 they could face hefty fines.”
The UK based company has invested in a new service centre just outside the LEZ as well as increasing its manufacturing capacity, but now fears that even this will not be enough. Eminox estimates that orders placed to date represent less than 1/3 of the total number of vehicles expected to retrofit.
Eminox has two LEZ approved full filtration retrofit systems – the Eminox CRT® (Continuously Regenerating Trap) and FBC (Fuel Borne Catalyst). Both systems use catalyst and filter technology to reduce particulate matter by more than 90%, and are manufactured to meet specific vehicle requirements.
A full fitting service is provided at three service centres and other Eminox approved centres throughout the UK. In addition, fully trained mobile technicians can fit at customers own premises.
Eminox helped more operators meet the phase 1 and 2 LEZ standards than any other provider and has already upgraded thousands of vehicles to meet the new 2012 requirements. Leading coach and bus operator TGM (formally Tellings Golden Miller) already has a fully compliant fleet having retrofitted Eminox CRT systems to 71 of its vehicles.
The company has also invested in after sales and support and can offer the next generation of Xpurge® filter cleaning technology which removes 30% more contaminants than conventional cleaning methods. This delivers ‘as new’ levels of filter performance with longer service intervals and is backed by the Veritex ® inspection guarantee.
Ends
Notes to editors
Eminox employs over 270 people and has an annual turnover of around £40 million. Eminox services the European exhaust and emissions control market using an established network of Eminox branches and distributors. The company supplies Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) as well as the aftermarket.
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