1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198 
Up and coming law with the HA
Page 40
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FUTURE LEGISLATION I W LA fee proposals: 'Me DVLA is considering revising fee structures to cover the costs of changes. including the 10-yearly renewal of photocard licences, the removal of the paper counterpart and the redevelopment of vehicle systems and processes.
Operator Licensing: The Department for Transport (Din has issued a consultation looking at three main proposals:a change in the way multiple licences, held in different traffic areas. are administered; a change in the way fees are structured and collected; and the eventual abolition of paper vehicle discs and removal of the 2N-day period of grace to use vehicles on a licence without speeitianion.lhe consultation ends on 31 March 2(06 ( CM 9 February).
Euro-4/5 emissions standards: New vehicles will be required to meet these standards, which further reduce permitted vehicle emissions. Euro-4 will apply to vehicles first used on orafter 1 October 2006, and Euro-5 to vehicles first used on or after l October 2009 (CM 26 January).
Driver training: 'llie EU Driver Training Directive requires both initial and periodic training of professional goods and passenger vehicle drivers. The training covers fuel economy, drivers' hours and customer service: the qualification is referred to as a Certificate of Professional Competence, Member states must lay down laws for its introduction no later than 10 September 2(X)6. with initial training starting by September 2N19 (CM 27 October 2005).
Digital tachographs: Legislation to change the launch date for digitachs could be published as early as March 2006. The requirement to fit digitachs to new vehicles will be introduced 20 days after publication (CM 2February).
Road Safety Bill: This includes the introduction of: graduated fixed penalties for speeding: fixed penalties and a deposit scheme for offences such as overloading; tougher penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving: new powers to seize and dispose of uninsured vehicles; new
penalties to deal with dangerous and had drivers; the piloting of motorway rest areas; better enforcement of drivers' hours rules; and a new offence of being the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle (CM 19 January).
Third Driver Licence Directive: The EC is discussing revisions to European law as follows: generalising the photocard licence and allowing the introduction of a microchip; introducing a limited administrative validity for driving licences; harmonising the frequency of medical checks; ending driver 'licence tourism' by introducing a pan-European application process; introducing progressive access to the most powerful motorcycles, trucks and buses; removing the flexibility of towing larger trailers on a car licence; and introducing minimum requirements for the initial qualification and training of driving examiners (CM 14 July 2005).
Reddiesel:HMRevenueandCustomsisexpected to announce changes to the list of vehicles entitled to use rebated fuel in the 2(X)6 Budget. Customs plans to remove the road construction vehicle category and require vehiclesthat are not used on the public road to comply with the Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) rules. Between now and the Budget. Customs will also be consulting further on the de f initions of tractors, agricultural engines and mobile cranes. All other exempted vehicle categories will remain unchanged (CM 2February).
Corporate manslaughter: The government has issued a bill creating a new offence holding organisations to account for any gross failings by their senior management that have had fatal consequences. As a corporate offence it will not apply to individual directors or others. However, proceedings for manslaughter, or under health and safety law, will continue to be possible against individuals.
Highways Agency powers: Legislation is expected during 2006 to allow Highways Agency traffic officers to remove or arrange removal of abandoned or broken-down vehicles from motorways and trunk roads in England, giving them the same power as the police.
EU Drivers' hours: Publication of legislation that will amend rules on daily and weekly rest, exemptions and breaks from driving is expected in spring 2006. The changes will come into effect 12 months after publication. in spring 2007.