New van and truck registrations slump in 2009
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Registrations: down 51% in February, 17% to 325,339 for the rolling year.
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Trucks: down 42% in February, up 1.5% to 54,423 for the rolling year.
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Vans: down 58% for the month and down 20% to 270,916 for the rolling year.
“The UK commercial vehicle business is under intense pressure with the slump in UK demand for vans, and now trucks, a big issue for the UK economy. It is vital to stabilise buyer confidence soon,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. “”vans are 50% below the figure for this time last year and trucks are down 36% this year. 2009 will be a huge test for the resilience of our sector and of the firms that need modern, efficient transport to deliver a stable economy. These are unique circumstances in which the government must help. We need direct, positive action to give people the confidence to buy now.”
