AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Future legislation

18th December 2003
Page 35
Page 35, 18th December 2003 — Future legislation
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Driver and vehicle licence fees: Driver and vehicle licence fees: Legislation is now in force to allow the Secretary of State to pool the fees for driver and vehicle licensing, with the intention of introducing new fees. The fee changes will 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.

ADR/R1D harmonis' alion: 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 2004.

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).

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.

Continuous registration: Following the introduction of a late VED renewal fee, the government also intends to introduce a new criminal offence of being the registered keeper of an unlicensed vehicle (minimum penalty of £1.000). This will mean that the registered keeper will be liable for tax evasion, whether or not the vehicle is seen on the road.

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).

Working Time Sectoral 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).

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

Digital tachographs: European regulai require the fitment of digital tachograpl new vehicles from 5 August 2004. How■ there is increasing concern that this timetal unlikely to be met due to type approval iss 'trailer registration: The DVLA has annoui proposals to introduce requirements for trt over 1,020kg unladen weight to be register