Despatches news - Road Transport

First recovery contract -

The Highways Agency has awarded the first National Vehicle Recovery Manager contract to Yorkshire-based FMG Support Ltd. The three year deal is to remove vehicles posing a danger or obstruction to motorway users following abandonment, breakdown or accident.

Commission to relax self-employed rules -

The European Commission is set allow self-employed drivers to work more than the standard 48 hours laid down for employed drivers. This is in recognition that they have other administrative duties to perform, as well as driving. The limitation is due to come into effect from 23 March 2009. The Commission also proposes that the relation would apply to drivers who do not have an employment contract with an employer but do not have the freedom to organise their working activities or have relations with several customers or whose income does not depend directly on profits made.

MOT testing : no change -

In November 2006, the Davidson Review of the Implementation of European Legislation - which reported in November 2006 - questioned why the UK test vehicles earlier and more frequently than the minimum requirements of EC law. EU law currently requires, as a minimum, a first test of cars not less than four years after registration, and subsequent testing not less than every other year thereafter. Currently the UK requires that cars are tested three years after registration and then annually thereafter. Following a risk analysis of possible changes, the Department for Transport has concluded that the MOT test - and test frequency in particular - is strongly cost-beneficial, and it therefore does not plan to make any changes.

Workplace parking levy consultation -

The Department for Transport is consulting on details of the legislative framework for Workplace Parking Levy schemes. Powers for a local authority to make a workplace parking levy scheme were included in the Transport Act 2000.

The regulations would apply to any local traffic authority that wishes to make a workplace parking levy scheme in England outside London. The rationale behind the workplace parking levy is that the most serious congestion problems in most towns and cities are associated with peak commuting, and car use is influenced by the availability of free or relatively cheap workplace parking. The principal aim of the levy is to provide an incentive to employers and educational establishments to discourage car commuting and use alternative modes of transport (including car-sharing). This would be achieved by imposing a levy on employers and educational establishments relating to the amount of workplace car parking they provide.

The consultation proposes that decisions about workplace parking levy exemptions, discounts and the level of charges should be the responsibility of the local authority making the scheme.

Traffic projection rise -

The latest Road Traffic Forecasts published by the Department for Transport show total traffic on the GB road network continuing to grow over the coming decades at similar rates to the recent past, but at a significantly slower pace compared to the period before 1990. In line with recent trends, light goods vehicle traffic is forecast to increase most rapidly with expected growth of 63 per cent over the period. Growth in light goods vehicle traffic has generally increased in line with GDP in the past and this is projected to continue. Despite this, lgvs are still expected to account for only around 15 per cent of total traffic in 2025 (up from 12 per cent in 2003).