Backhouse Jones News.
Archive for February , 2009
Graduated fixed penalties: VOSA to implement from 28 May 2009
Tuesday 24th February 2009FTA met with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) last week to discuss the introduction of graduated fixed penalties and deposits. The following points were confirmed.
Mirror retrofit: clarification on requirements
Tuesday 24th February 2009European legislation requires goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes first registered from 1 January 2000 to meet wide angle (class IV mirror) and close proximity (class V mirror) field of vision requirements by 31 March 2009.
EU hours concession for military reservists
Tuesday 24th February 2009The Government has secured a concession from the European Commission to allow drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles who are also military reservists to undertake military weekend training without falling foul of the EU drivers' hours rules on weekly rest.
Revision of the main Working Time Directive: reaches conciliation
Tuesday 24th February 2009The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have been attempting to agree on the revision of the main Working Time Directive since 2004.
Low carbon and all-electric vans: final tenders sought in public sector procurement programme
Tuesday 24th February 2009Last week, the Department for Transport (DfT) invited final tenders from short-listed bidders to supply low carbon and all-electric vans under the Low Carbon Vehicles Procurement Programme (LCVPP).
Governance of strategic rail freight corridors: DfT consults on European Commission proposals
Tuesday 24th February 2009The Department for Transport is consulting on the European Commission's recent proposal concerning a European rail network for competitive freight.
M1 junction 19 Catthorpe interchange: details of improvement scheme announced
Tuesday 24th February 2009Transport Minister, Lord Adonis, has announced details of the Catthorpe Interchange improvement scheme.
Green Fingers For Bus Drivers
Thursday 19th February 2009Bus drivers could be given the power to turn traffic lights green in a bid to get passengers between Bootle and Liverpool quicker.
Budget 2009: date set for 22 April
Tuesday 17th February 2009Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced that this year's Budget will take place on 22 April.
Diesel prices: ease
Tuesday 17th February 2009Bulk contract diesel prices as at Friday 13 February averaged 80.3 pence per litre (ppl)
Headlamp aim at annual test: new FTA compliance guide
Tuesday 17th February 2009From 16 February 2009, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) introduced simplification and tolerance changes to headlamp aim tests. The main features of the changes are to:
Changes to statutory recovery/removal arrangements: new briefing note from FTA
Tuesday 17th February 2009The removal, storage and disposal of vehicles, which until now has been dealt with by individual police forces across the country, is being replaced by a national system on the motorway and trunk road network in England.
Online test booking: now available for single hgv and psv bookings
Tuesday 10th February 2009The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has announced that its single vehicle online test booking service is now available for passenger service vehicles and heavy goods vehicles.
Digital tachographs: adaptors for cars and small goods vehicles
Tuesday 10th February 2009The European Commission has published a regulation to allow the use of adaptors in small vehicles.
Channel Tunnel: fully open
Tuesday 10th February 2009Following the fire in the Channel Tunnel in September 2008, on Monday (9 February) Eurotunnel was, once again, fully open to traffic between the United Kingdom and Continental Europe.
Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan: agreed with ORR
Tuesday 10th February 2009Last week, Network Rail and the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) finally agreed the level of funding that Network Rail needs to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the railway network and deliver specified network enhancements in the period 2009 - 2014. ORR determined that Network Rail needed to spend £28.5bn in the five years of control period.
Scrappage scheme: Government considers incentive as a way of boosting car industry
Tuesday 10th February 2009Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson has signalled that the Government is looking at a tax-payer funded scrappage scheme to encourage motorists to replace old, polluting vehicles with new ones.
Climate change emissions: UK emissions fall 1.5 per cent in 2007
Tuesday 10th February 2009The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that the UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 1.5 per cent in 2007.
Commercial vehicle registrations: remain weak
Tuesday 10th February 2009Registrations for heavy goods vehicles and vans are continuing to see sharp falls compared to a year ago, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Road freight activity: slumps to 10-year low
Tuesday 10th February 2009New provisional Department for Transport data for the final quarter of 2008 shows hgv road traffic falling by seven per cent compared to the same quarter in 2007.
Local road maintenance: extra £66 million earmarked for detrunked roads
Tuesday 10th February 2009The Department for Transport has announced £66m of capital funding during 2009/10 and 2010/11 to 41 local authorities to carry out capital maintenance on their de-trunked roads.
Driver CPC: Training record and planner
Tuesday 3rd February 2009FTA has developed a spreadsheet tool to help operators record and plan the deliver of training for their goods vehicle drivers. The key worksheets are:
Biofuels: Government confirms scale-back of biofuel timeframe
Tuesday 3rd February 2009In 2008 the Government consulted on proposals to slow down the rate at which the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) increases year on year as recommended by the Gallagher Review.
National trade routes: M1 widening opened
Tuesday 3rd February 2009Last week Transport Secretary, Geoff Hoon, officially opened the £300 million M1 widening project between junctions 6A and 10 (M25 and Luton).
Powers to remove: extended responsibilities for traffic officers in the East of England
Tuesday 3rd February 2009From January Highways Agency traffic officers have taken on new powers to order the quick and safe removal of abandoned, broken down and accident-damaged vehicles from the motorway network.
London Low Emission Zone: rethink on plans for phase 3 announced
Tuesday 3rd February 2009London's Mayor, Boris Johnston, has announced that he will be consulting on proposals to suspend phase 3 of the Low Emission Zone.
