FUTURE LEGISLATION
Page 30
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Forthcoming changes in the law in association with the Freight Transport Association
Northern Ireland 0-licensing reform The Department of the Environment intends to amend the Northern Ireland 0-licensing system to mirror that of Great Britain. Changes include a system for restricted 0-licensing to apply to own-account carriage for the first time. Primary legislation is expected by the end of this year.
Enforcement of motor insurance The Department for Transport (DfT) has published a consultation on plans to use the DVLA vehicles register and the Motor Insurance Database held by the Motor Insurers' Bureau to warn and then penalise (fixed penalty of E.100, immobilisation and eventually disposal) vehicle keepers who fail to hold valid insurance. Enabling legislation is already in place in the Road Safety Act 2006, and implementation is expected from autumn 2010 at the earliest.
Road safety compliance A DfT consultation includes proposals to introduce: six penalty points for exceeding the speed limit by 20mph: make careless driving a fixed penalty offence (£.60 with three penalty points); the specification of retraining courses for drivers who have had their vocational licences revoked by a IC; and the lowering of the blood alcohol limit. Changes are expected from early 2010.
Cabotage regulation An EU rule will tighten the rules on cabotage —the national carriage of goods by road undertaken on a temporary basis by a non-resident haulier, It limits hauliers to three cabotage operations within seven days of international carnage. Within the seven-day limit, cabotage operations can be carried out in any member state, but where entry into a member state is unladen, the haulier is limited to lust one cabotage operation per member state within three days of unladen entry. Hauliers must produce evidence of international carriage and cabotage operations. The new rules come into force on 14 May 2010.
Temporary Agency Workers Directive A European Directive requires domestic legislation in place no later than 5 December 2011 to provide for the equal treatment of temporary agency workers in relation to basic working and employment conditions, access to permanent employment, and amenities to improve access to training.
Cl and D1 learner supervisor changes The Driving Standards Agency intends to change the regulations for supervisors of learner drivers in categories Cl Cl -E, D1 and D1 -4-E, where the supervisors hold vocational entitlements gained with a pre-1997 car test pass. From 6 April 2010. those supervisors will need to meet the higher medical standards, pass the relevant test and wait until they have held their new vocational entitlement for three years before they can act as a supervisor to a learner driver.
UK and Eire — mutual recognition of disqualifications The UK has taken formal legal steps, along with the Republic of Ireland administration, to mutually recognise driving disqualifications issued to either UK or Irish drivers. This will mean a UK driving licence holder disqualified for an offence in Ireland will no longer escape that punishment when they return home. Likewise, a disqualification earned by an Irish driver while in the UK will be enforced on their return to Ireland. Legislation is expected to take effect in February 2010.
0-licensing changes Introduction of further harmonised licensing rules for international operators and transport managers on 4 December 2011. Key changes are the introduction of a panEuropean database, merging of national and international transport manager CFCs and restrictions on part-time transport managers.