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Up and coming law with the Ffik

20th November 2003
Page 39
Page 39, 20th November 2003 — Up and coming law with the Ffik
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Future legislation

Driver and vehicle licence fees: Following consultation. the DVLA has announced that the fees for driver and vehicle licensing will be pooled and amended.The fee changes include an increase in the initial vehicle registration (from £25 to £38) from 1 January 2004 and the removal of all fees associated with vocational driving licence acquisition (eg first provisional licence entitlement, upgrading after test pass and licence renewals) from 1 March 2004.

ADWRID harmonisation: The Health and Safety Commission has published its consultative document on the new British Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail Regulations, to align with the ADR (international) rules. The new regs will include carriers of diesel, waste carriers and parcel carriers. The Health and Safety Executive hopes to have the new regulations in place by March 2034.

Continuous regi.stration: The government has issued detailed proposals to introduce a penalty for failing to relicence a vehicle (£80, reducing to £40 if paid within 28 days) and a new offence of being the registered keeper of an unlicensed vehicle (minimum penalty £1,000) from 1 January 2004.This will mean that the registered keeper will be liable for tax evasion,whether or not the vehicle is seen on the road ( CM 9 October). Lorry road user charging: The government intends to introduce a distance-based road user charge for UK and foreign vehicles using UK roads. The charge is intended to be 'taxneutral' by being offset against fuel duty, to be introduced in 2006.

EU drivers' hours rules The European Commission has published proposals for updating regulation 3820/85. The proposals aimed to introduce changes from January 2004; however, this timetable is unlikely to be met (CM 9 October).

Trailer registration:The DVLA has announced proposals to introduce requirements for trailers over 1,020kg unladen weight to be registered.

Working Time Sectond Directive:The Sectoral Directive, which applies specific rules to mobile workers subject to tachograph regulations, will come into force no later than 23 March 2005. The draft UK regulations are expected in March 2004 (CM 4 September).

Driver training: EU Driver Training Directive: The European Commission has published a Directive requiring initial and periodic training of professional goods and passenger vehicle drivers. The Level 2 training covers fuel economy, drivers' hours and customer service; the qualification is referred to as a Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Member states must lay down legislation for its introduction no later than 10 September 2006 with initial training from 10 September 2009 (CM 11 September).

Speed limiters: The European Commission has proposed a directive extending the requirement for speed limiters to be fitted to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. Fl for new vehicles is likely to be introd in 2005 for vehicles on internat journeys, followed by staged introdu for new domestically operated vehicle: retrofitting from 2005 to 2008.

Digital tachographs: European regula require the fitment of digital tachograp new vehicles from 5 August 2004. How there is increasing concern that this time is unlikely to be met due to type approval i (CM 2 October).