Nearly three quarters (72%) of fleet operators who responded to the 2021 edition of the ‘Asset Alliance Group Industry Monitor’ research stated that they would exit a contract if the cost of urban regulations became too high to absorb.
This figure is up almost 20% from when respondents answered the same survey in 2019 (previously 57%), which is possibly a reflection of the increasing pressure of new city-based rules being implemented and provides an indication of how the new legislation is impacting on operators.
The latest edition of the research saw 625 respondents polled in total, drawn from the readership of both Motor Transport and Commercial Motor.
As well as covering key issues such as alternative fuels, the ongoing driver shortage, and truck crime, it reveals that the spread of localised urban regulations (such as ‘Clean Air’ zones and London’s Direct Vision Standard) is one of the top three areas of concern for UK operators.
The past few years have seen a raft of new measures introduced, driven by the desire to improve air quality in urban environments and make cities cleaner and safer places for those who live and work in them, particularly with more ‘clean air’ zones coming into effect across the country during 2021-2022.
Specialised ‘low emission’ and ‘zero emission’ zones are also being looked at as potential options for the future, with the harshest restrictions proposed involving the outright ban of non-compliant vehicles from within designated zones.
