FUTURE LEGISLATION
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Forthcoming changes in the law brought to you by the FreightTransport Association Third EU driver licence directive Following EU directive 2006/126/EC published in 2006, changes to the law include: five yearly renewals for vocational licences — to include self-certification for medical fitness until the age of 45— and a limit of 3,500kg on the maximum authorised mass of a trailer towed by a driver with a newly acquired B+E entitlement after 19 January 2013. The changes to entitlement are not retrospective.
Acquired rights for transport managers A deadline of 4 December 2013 has been set for any holders of grandfather rights for transport manager CPC to apply for an acquired rights certificate (GV203). Only transport managers with grandfather rights listed on an 0-licence will automatically receive an acquired rights certificate. Email freight@dft.gsfgov.uk MoT exemption for older vehicles On 18 November an amendment to the legislation on the testing of vehicles came into force. This exempts vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1960 from MoT testing. Although vehicles will be exempt, they will still need to be in a roadworthy condition when used on public roads.
Scottish government consultation on reducing drink-drive limits The Scottish government has closed consultation on a proposal to reduce the country's drink-driving limits. The proposal is to reduce the limit from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol in every 100m1 of blood, with an equivalent reduction in the ratio of alcohol to breath and alcohol to urine.
Introduction of Euro-6 Euro-6 emission levels will become mandatory for new types of large CVs from 31 December and new registrations from 31 December 2013. A reduced pollution certificate (RPC) is available for Euro-6, but the reduced VED will only be available until December 2016 for holders of valid certificates.
Driver licensing fee changes The DVLA is consulting on proposals to increase driver licence transaction fees to pay for the impending new requirement for vocational licence holders to administratively renew their licences every five years. Options look at how the cost of an additional £19.6m will be borne and by which customers. The changes are expected to be implemented in April 2013.
Driving offences penalty changes The Department for Transport is proposing to make careless driving a fixed penalty offence and is open to the offer of remedial training. Also proposed is an increase in penalties for offences dealt with by way of fixed penalty, from £60 to £90 (usually for endorsable offences), and to similarly increase fines for non-endorseable offences. Changes are expected by April 2013.
EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) All new vehicles made or imported for sale in the UK, or across the EU, cannot be sold or registered for use on the road without an approval — no approval means no sale. Introduced in phases from 2010, ECWVTA will also apply to: existing type medium and heavy CVs and trailers built in a single stage, as well as new type medium and heavy CVs built in multistages from October 2012; existing type LCVs built in multistages from October 2013; and existing type medium and heavy CVs built in multistages from October 2014.
The Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations 2012 This revokes and replaces the detailed requirement for no smoking signs as prescribed in the 2007 regulations, with a requirement that at least one legible no-smoking sign must be displayed in both smoke-free vehicles and premises.
EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) Phased introduction of EC regulations on vehicle type approval from October 2012, to include single stage build for medium and heavy CVs. Further stages in 2013 and 2014 as mentioned above.
Conspicuity marking in scope of full test Following the introduction of conspicuity marking in July 2011 and the inclusion in tests from January, the period of grace where advisory notices were issued where a vehicle did not meet the standard has ended.