On Tuesday 30 June, Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett made the trip to Calais to witness for himself the appalling conditions under which UK hauliers are currently operating. “This action will have a massive effect on the UK economy as a whole and is putting the livelihood and lives of hundreds of hauliers at risk”, said Richard Burnett.
FTA urges chancellor ‘not to renege’ on fuel tax promise
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has called on the chancellor to freeze or cut fuel duty ahead of Wednesday’s FairFuelUK event at the House of Commons. Chief executive David Wells has written to George Osborne asking him not to renege on his promise to hold current levels until September.
The chief executive of IAAF, Wendy Williamson has been appointed to the board and made treasurer of FIGIEFA, the association representing the needs of the European independent automotive aftermarket to governments and legislators of the European Union.
Vapour recovery scheme consultation welcomed by PRA
After persistent lobbying from the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) published a consultation document on 17 June regarding the reimbursement of duty on petrol subject to vapour recovery, Brian Madderson, PRA chairman comments.
Brake, the road safety charity, is urging the government to show strong leadership in the face of the first calendar year increase in road casualties in 17 years. The charity believes the reintroduction of ambitious casualty reduction targets, axed in 2010, must be a key first step in an urgently needed fightback against road danger and it points out that people on foot and bike bore the brunt of the rise.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) says more needs to be done to protect vulnerable road users after new figures revealed a rise in the number of deaths on Britains roads. The statistics released by the Department for Transport show an increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured, in particular pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, in 2014 compared to 2013.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), has clarified the status of the Plug-In Car Grant (PICG), which is available for vehicles emitting less than 75g/km CO2. It has confirmed that the current version of the grant, worth up to £5,000, will end this year, at a date yet to be confirmed. Until that date, OLEV has said that it will honour any deal placed on its system for a qualifying car, provided that the vehicle has been allocated to a customer and is delivered and registered within nine months.
Glass’s calls for ‘grown up debate’ to avoid ‘demonising diesel’
Central government and local authorities should think hard and look at the facts before making major policy changes in the name of in the name of achieving green environmental improvements, says Glasss. They point out that knee jerk reactions to studies showing the negative impact of diesel emissions on urban air quality could be counterproductive as well as affect sales and use of diesel cars and commercial vehicles.
Will raised school leaving age hit apprentice numbers?
Steve Nash, chief executive of the Institute for the Motor Industry, is calling for government and education bodies to ensure that schools are giving the most impartial advice to young people, given that the mandatory education or training participation age is now raised to 18.
From September 2015, all new cars must be compliant with Euro 6 emissions standards, which aims to reduce the levels of harmful exhaust emissions such as nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (THC and NMHS) and particulate matter (PM).
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is urging the new government to increase its efforts in promoting road safety by giving targeted enforcement a higher priority. With the yet-to-be-revealed figures for 2014 shaping up to show an increase in deaths and injuries on UK roads, the IAM believe the new government must make road traffic policing a core priority function for police forces and commissioners in England and Wales.
1.75m UK motorists ‘could struggle’ to access online driving licence: Licencecheck
Following the abolition of the driving licence paper counterpart yesterday, more than 1.75 million motorists could struggle to access their driving licence online, according to a licence checking and monitoring company. Licencecheck said that it had seen evidence of “teething problems” with the new system, introduced by the DVLA for drivers to access or share their driving licence information.
British Medical Journal article warns of UK air pollution
An article has recently appeared in the British Medical Journal warning of the dangers to public health in the UK caused by air pollutants. In 2011 a report from the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee suggested that the costs to society from poor air quality were on a par with those from smoking and obesity. Air pollution has fallen sharply over the last 25 years, in particular nitrogen oxide levels have dropped by two thirds and particulates have halved. However, whilst the pollution levels have fallen, the medical profession is now better able to quantify the damage caused.
Change to driving licence ‘will save taxpayer millions’ – DVLA
From today (8 June 2015), the paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence is being replaced by an online service. This will save motorists millions of pounds and change the way they share their information with employers and car hire companies, says the DVLA.
French policy ‘discriminates against diesels’ says ACEA
The European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA) has voiced its surprise and disappointment at yesterday’s announcement that Euro 6 diesel cars will not be included in Category 1 of the new French colour coding scheme, which classifies vehicles according to their pollution levels.
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