The government announcement to exclude essential workers from self-isolation requirements if they have been double vaccinated should be extended to forecourt workers, says the Petrol Retailers Association. Gordon Balmer, the Executive Director of the PRA has said, "We are well aware of supply issues in shops, primarily as a result of workers who are part of the supply chain including terminal … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 July
IAM RoadSmart said support for reducing the speed limit on all urban roads from 30mph to 20mph has increased in recent years with almost half of drivers now in favour. Overall, 44% of drivers surveyed agree all current 30mph limits should be replaced with a 20mph limit, a 13% increase from the same representative sample surveyed in 2014. … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 July
New petrol and diesel cars will be banned from sale by 2035, lorries five years later and aircraft and shipping will face stinging new fuel taxes under proposals announced this week by the EU. Imported steel used to make vehicles will also be heavily taxed as the EU seeks to dramatically reduce cross border carbon footprints. Ex Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has told the BBC how he was … [Read more...]
Diabetic drivers must declare condition to DVLA
A leading Insurance comparison website is warning that many motorists with diabetes risk a hefty fine if they fail to declare the condition to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Quotezone.co.uk also warns that policies could be void and claims disputed if diabetic drivers have not declared the disease to their insurer - and that includes those newly diagnosed. As the pandemic-induced … [Read more...]
Motor Sport reprieved from new insurance law
Vehicles intended exclusively for motorsport will be excluded from new Motor Insurance rules, known by some as the VNUK law. For seven years a European Court of Justice ruling threatened the entire sport and business of motorsport in the UK and Europe but has now changed its mind and this positive result comes after years of pro-active lobbying by the FIA, the Motorsport Industry Association … [Read more...]
EVs real threat to jobs
EU legislators are preparing to ban sales of petrol and diesel powered vehicles by 2035 as it toughens emissions laws. A proposal to slash 60% cut in emissions at current levels by 2030 due to be announced in three weeks will precede the total block and it comes as Jaguar says it will be moving future EVs up-market to match Porsche and Bentley. CLEPA said in a statement, such stringent … [Read more...]
Multi-million-pound new Welsh road as slow as ever
Drivers will face a continuing 50mph speed limit on Wales most expensive key road despite £336M upgrade and three-years late construction. The five-mile A465 Heads of the Valleys road through the Clydach Gorge is part of a £800M widening of the dual carriageway between Monmouth and Neath Port Talbot. Controversially, the M4 around Port Talbot was given a 50mph limit where bends were … [Read more...]
Bid to ease driver shortage for HGVs
With more than 45,000 HGV driver tests outstanding at DVSA as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Logistics UK is pressing government to introduce a seasonal visa for European HGV drivers to protect the nation’s supply chain while the organisation catches up with this backlog. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, understandably, all driving tests were suspended,” explains David Wells, the business … [Read more...]
Lawmakers fail to understand technology, say suppliers
The planned European wide ban on petrol and diesel cars is not supported by technical data, said Sigrid de Vries, Secretary General of CLEPA, the association of automotive suppliers. “The steeper the target, without recognition of sustainable renewable fuels, the closer one gets to a de facto ban on the internal combustion engine. Without renewable fuels acknowledged in this law, if you need a … [Read more...]
Cardiff driving fines quadruple
Drivers in Cardiff have seen a quadrupling in council penalty charge notices as the city collected £2.4M in fines in the last available figures. Cardiff alone, nearly four times as many penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued in 2018/19 compared to 2016/17 (74,142 compared to 19,080) translating to a £1.8m hike in revenue (£593,160 to £2.4m – 313%). The most profitable offences for Cardiff are … [Read more...]