Van market slips back

Registrations of panel vans between 2.5 – 3.5 tonnes fell three per cent with 170,201 in the first nine months, figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveal

The registration of all vans up to 3.5 tonnes is down by three per cent, with 274,247 new LCVs on British roads.

However, the registration of rigids up to 6 tonnes is up by 29 per cent with 7,056 new vehicle registrations.

“We have seen fluctuations in UK van registrations so far this year, but the overall downward trend shows that there is some hesitancy in the market,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes. “Businesses need certainty to invest and future growth now depends on government providing the right economic conditions to encourage operators to renew their fleets.”