February fillip for van registrations, but not for trucks
• Registrations: 10,348 in February; 220,521 for the rolling year, down 32.2%.
• Trucks: 1,370 in February; 32,473 for the rolling year, down 40.4%.
• Vans: 8,978 for the month; 188,048 for the rolling year, down 30.6%.
“Despite the hesitant economic recovery, demand for new vans has picked up, though trucks still struggle in one of the most difficult markets since the early 1990s,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. “We don’t expect a consistent recovery for some time, either for new vans or trucks, so durable growth in business investment and confidence is vital. The government’s 2010 Budget needs to deliver clear, supportive and dependable policies, including better access to business credit to sustain that recovering demand for vans and trucks.”
