COMPANIES are set to swap lorries for vans to avoid paying up to £100 per vehicle, per day, if a chargeable clean air zone was introduced in Southampton, it has been warned.

Revealed by the Road Haulage Association, it adds that this will mean more vehicles on the city’s roads, which could counter the proposed zone.

It comes as the Department for Transport has already reported a big increase in the number of vans on the roads due to online shopping deliveries.

But the city council says it is aware of this and is looking at its impacts.

“This potential scenario is recognised and we are assessing the potential impacts as part of the ongoing assessment exercise,” said leader of the council, Councillor Chris Hammond.

“There is a similar case for freight consolidation whereby both HGV and LGV trips into the city are reduced by ensuring each journey is optimised.

“It is recognised that many trips are made into the city for multiple single deliveries. A charging scheme has the potential to incentivise businesses to consolidate these deliveries outside of the city.”

A recent survey. carried out by IFF Research, also found that if a charge was introduced, 52 per cent of local businesses expect it will affect them.

It was also found that almost a quarter of businesses sending vans into Southampton don’t know about plans for a clean air zone, it has been revealed.

The survey was commissioned by Northgate Vehicle Hire – the largest van rental company in the UK, which has a depot and garage at Lower William Street, Southampton.

Gareth Hillier, spokesman for Northgate Vehicle Hire in Southampton, said: “Vans are critical for businesses in Southampton, from builders to home delivery companies – so it’s worrying that a high number of firms in the city are not aware of these changes, with less than two years until the CAZ is scheduled to start.

“Van drivers are facing a perfect storm. Almost 99% of vans run on diesel*, which is being hit by increasing fuel prices and taxes. Yet for many businesses, new technologies such as electric vehicles are just not yet ready, in terms of the high price, or because the vehicles can’t travel sufficient distances between charges.

“With potential fines for driving in CAZs, we are seeing an increasing number of businesses shift from ownership to rental, where they can quickly hire a compliant vehicle quickly to avoid fines.”

Northgate runs around 29,000 vans which are compliant with Euro VI – the highest new standard for vehicle emissions set by the European Commission. These vans would not be charged to enter new CAZ zones or existing zones such as LEZ in London.

The news comes as Southampton City Council proposes to introduce a city-wide clean air zone, which could charge certain commercial vehicles up to £100-a-day to enter.

The authority has been tasked by central government to reduce its nitrogen dioxide amount to the EU-imposed level of below 40 micrograms per cubic air metre by 2022. It is currently 42 micrograms.

However, firms have warned it may be unsustainable for them to operate in the city if a charge is brought in.

The 12-week consultation period for the scheme ended last week, with results expected to be released in the coming weeks.