Volvo Buses
UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND
From 3rd January 2012 any operator whose vehicles enter the London LEZ without meeting the new PM emissions criteria will be liable to incur a penalty charge of up to £1,000 per infringement. In addition, if a vehicle registered before 1st October 2006 is not fitted with a compliant exhaust aftertreatment; the operator will be charged £200 for every day the vehicle is in the LEZ.
Mil-Ken Travel Ltd is based in Littleport Cambridgeshire and runs a fleet of 10 vehicles out of Kentford, Suffolk. The forward-thinking company runs school and private hire contracts, often into central London and were keen to ensure that three of their 2006 registered B12B coaches met the required LEZ standards ahead of next year’s deadline.
Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia retrofitted new particulate filters to Mil-Ken Travel’s three B12B coaches, ensuring that the vehicles now meet the more stringent Euro 4 PM emissions standard for coaches over 5 tonnes, registered before 1st October 2006.
Working alongside Eminox, Volvo designed a particulate filter, which can be retrofitted to any make of vehicle, even those as old as Euro 1 compliance, to bring it up to Euro 4 PM standards.
The new Eminox PM filter is specifically designed as a direct replacement for the vehicle’s original silencer and the service includes a pre-fitment engine smoke check as part of the service. A Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) or Low Emissions Certificate (LEC) is provided to the operator after fitment of the Eminox PM filter as evidence of compliance.
Quick and easy to fit, the retrofit PM filter is of the ‘Continuously Regenerating Trap’ (CRT) type. It combines a ceramic oxidation catalyst with full wall flow filtration technology which, in addition to filtering particulates, also virtually eliminates hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
“Volvo are always extremely helpful and accommodating,” explained Mil-Ken Travel Ltd owner, Jason Miller. “They never shirk responsibilities and offer a great aftermarket support. We felt it was important that our 2006 B12B coaches met upcoming emissions standards and by keeping them fully Volvo, you get the added re-assurance that any problem will be resolved quickly and efficiently”.
When fitted by trained Volvo workshop Technicians the Eminox PM filter has a 24 month warranty on parts and labour. Maintenance requirements are minimal with the filter only needing to be cleaned, on average, once a year, with driver informed of this by an Electronic Service Indicator (ESI).
“It’s extremely important that our customers know that we offer this service,” explained Volvo Bus Service Manager, Ian Wallace. “With the deadline for PM emissions for LEZ fast approaching, operators rightly want to be prepared and at Volvo we offer the service and aftercare they can rely on.
“Our network of over 100 workshops throughout the UK and Ireland means that there is a Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Dealerpoint within easy reach of bus and coach operators, making the retrofit LEZ solution convenient and effective”.
ENDS
05 August 2011
Caption for image: Volvo Bus are offering retrofit solutions to help its bus and coach operators prepare for forthcoming legislation changes, which will see tougher Particulate Matter (PM) emission standards for the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ).