Vehicle recovery truck operators have demanded an exemption from the London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) from new mayor Boris Johnson.
In a letter to Johnson dated May 30, Gary Satchwell, chief executive of the Association of Vehicle Recovery Operators, says recovery lorries should be classified as "essential vehicles" in the same way as police, fire, ambulance, buses and London corporation vehicles.
He adds: "We find it very hard to come to terms with how the authority justifies a 1950s bus complying with no EU emission regulations at all being driven around London all day with tourists as an essential vehicle, yet a recovery vehicle at the scene of an accident clearing wreckage and supporting the police is not."
Satchwell says many of his members enter the capital only two or three times a year, and are unable to predict what type of vehicle will be required or become available on any particular day.
He adds: "An operator may have 10 vehicles in their fleet, some less, some many times more, but it is not feasible to expect to convert the fleet of 10 vehicles with a need to maybe enter London twice in a year.
"The required changes have placed a huge financial burden on members who operate within or near the London area.
"It will take years to recover their ground, some will not make it."
Transport for London claims it would not be consistent or fair to operators of similar vehicle types in other sectors if an exemption or discount were granted for the vehicle recovery sector.
A spokesman adds: "There is no discount or exemption from the LEZ for recovery vehicles on the basis that there are no technical reasons as to why such vehicles could not comply with the scheme."
On July 7, the LEZ will be extended to cover diesel-engined lorries of more than 3.5 tonnes. The first phase of the scheme was introduced on February 4 for diesel-engined lorries over 12 tonnes.
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