4 Things You Need To Know Before Driving a Van in London

An essential guide to driving your van around London city from the professionals at Compare the Man and Van. Save money on your journey with our guide. For more articles just like this one visit the rest of our blog: https://www.comparethemanandvan.co.uk/

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1. 4 Things You Need to Know Before Driving a Van in London
2. The World’s Most Congested City The world’s most congested city is stressful enough for car drivers, but driving a bigger bulkier van filled with furniture is another kettle of fish. Here at Compare the Man and Van our drivers know the roads as well as London cabbies, and they know how to get a full van from one side of the river to the other without breaking a sweat. Here is our expert guide from the professionals at Compare the Man and Van who do it everyday, to make sure you get a head start in the London man and van game.
3. Low Emission Zones (LEZ)
4. - As one of Europe’s most polluted cities, there are measures in place to try and cap this pollution - This means that for those of you driving a big diesel powered moving machine, there are places you’ll need to pay for if you want to go through, and it’s far from cheap. - If you drive through one of these zones your plate will be read by CCTV and it will be apparent if your vehicle meets the guidelines, and if you have paid the charge. Most of greater London is covered with these LEZ and those of you with older models of vans are going to be hardest hit. Fear not, Compare the Man and Van have some tips! LOW EMISSION ZONES
5. CHECK TFL - Check on TFL if your vehicle is affected. As of 2012 when the restrictions were upgraded, any van weighing from 1.25 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes need to meet the Euro 3 emission guidelines, and anything over that needs to meet Euro 4 standards. - The penalty for driving in these zones in a forbidden vehicle is £100 – £200 a day, if you do not pay the daily rate then you are issued a £500 fine. - An extension to your exhaust system will need to be fitted by a TFL approved mechanic, you’ll then get a certificate which states you are allowed to drive in the LEZ freely. Depending on the age of your vehicle, this can cost anywhere from £1500 – £2200 LOW EMISSION ZONES
6. Parking
7. MOST EXPENSIVE CITY TO PARK IN - London is officially the most expensive city to park in, with the average Londoner paying a whopping £42 a day just to park in the city. 51,866 parking tickets issued between 2014 and 2016 - As every borough of London has their own unique parking systems and prices, we always advise our drivers to research the location of their customer’s house before getting there. - If it is a large job and your vehicle is likely to be outside the customer’s house for more than a few hours, we recommend researching a parking permit before undertaking the job. These will not only save you money but allow you to load and unload in red zones, this is called dispensation. PARKING
8. Congestion Charge
9. COSTS REGULAR COMMUTERS £5000pa - If you do not want to have to deal with a congestion charge, then try to take jobs either on the weekends or after 6pm on weeknights, as you will not have to pay a congestion charge. - There are plenty of specialised services dedicated to finding you a route that avoids congestion charges, it is worth researching these before undertaking a job in order to establish whether the added journey time would work out cheaper - We recommend signing up to the Congestion Charge Auto Payment scheme or CCAP. This not only saves you money, paying £10.50 per day rather than £11.50, but it means that you do not need to plan so far ahead as you’re charged automatically and pay monthly. CONGESTION CHARGE
10. Cyclists
11. 610,000 CYCLE TRIPS PER DAY - This makes it extra necessary to be aware of cyclists whilst driving through the city. - If you are not yet used to driving a large van, ensure you know your blind spots are turning circles inside out before undertaking journeys in the city center. Be aware of the many tourists using pay as you go bikes who are still getting used to using the left side of the road. - If your vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes, under the safer lorry scheme you’ll be required to fit Class 4 or 5 mirrors in order to see as best you can in the blind spots. - “Safer Urban Driving Course” is not a requirement for all LGV vehicles in the city, but your certificate looks great for potential customers and costs just £50. CYCLISTS