An industry figure has called into question whether local authorities and other minibus operators that don’t already have a robust plan in place will be able to satisfy London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) from 8 April 2019.
Treka Bus MD Morgan Clissett says that demand for Euro 6 minibuses has increased recently as operators in and around the capital look to prepare for ULEZ.
But combined with base vehicle supply issues, largely driven by a forthcoming multi-month pause before Mercedes-Benz Sprinter production resumes with the new model, he questions whether the industry has the capacity to cope with demand.
“Some buyers were earlier interested in electric and gas power, but there is now a shift back towards Euro 6 diesel as that it is the cheapest and simplest way to satisfy the ULEZ,” says Mr Clissett.
“But so many customers want so many vehicles. Combined with the Sprinter change-over, that is a challenge. It’s not just for Treka; it’s an industry-wide problem.
“We’re little more than nine months from the ULEZ, and we are talking about bespoke minibuses that take time to produce. It may sound a long way off, but in reality, it is not.”
It is also unclear whether rental companies will have sufficient Euro 6 stock to meet ULEZ-generated demand, he says.
“There is a real issue developing here. The industry already has a finite resource of capacity, and that is not helped by the Sprinter situation.”
