News

A very digital Christmas How our licensing services were used during the festive season With essential Christmas goods to transport up and down the country and people to carry home for the festive break, commercial vehicle operators don’t get many days off the road. For businesses like yours, it’s essential to have access to your operator licence when our offices are closed or there’s a reduced service. That’s why over 1000 operators logged on to access their digital licence record on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 54 operators started a licence application across those days – 10 of them decided to kick things off on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve was the busiest day for vehicles being added or removed from licences, with over 616 transactions recorded. Mobile phones were the most popular device used to access our digital services on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. And the busiest time for our digital services? That was 10am on Christmas Eve. We’ll be updating you again soon on the latest service that will be available through Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) – licence...

The government has entered into 3 contracts with ferry operators to provide additional ferry capacity and services into the UK as part of no deal EU Exit contingency planning. Whilst the ambition of government is to ensure an orderly exit from the EU, the Department for Transport has been undertaking a wide range of work to mitigate the impact on the transport system of a no-deal EU Exit. Significant work has taken place to understand the effect that this would have on the UK border and the impact on flows of goods between the UK and EU. Whilst the government has made clear it is committed to ensuring frictionless movement across the UK border, the scale of the potential disruption to the Dover Straits, if additional customs checks were introduced in Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk, where freight services disembark, could be very significant. Given the importance of these routes, contingency work is being undertaken to mitigate potential impacts and ensure that goods can continue to flow into and out of the UK as freely as possible. A priority for government is to ensure that the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel can continue to operate at the maximum possible capacity. The government is therefore working with both organisations and our French counterparts in Calais, Coquelles and Dunkirk so that any disruption or drop in throughput is managed effectively and mitigated. There is a clear willingness to reach agreements which secure the continued operation of these vital trade routes in all scenarios and the government remains confident that there will not be major disruption to the flow of goods across...

Roadside payments are changing From Tuesday 29 January 2019, the way we take roadside payments will change. Instead paying by chip & PIN, fixed penalties will now be paid using a secure payment portal. How it works Once a member of our enforcement staff issues you with a fixed penalty: 1. You will be asked to provide an email address or telephone number for either yourself or a nominated payee. 2. An email or text with a unique code and a link to the payment portal will be sent to you or your nominated payee. 3. Follow the link and use the code to enter your payment details to make payment. 4. Our onsite enforcement staff will receive a text confirming receipt of payment. 5. They’ll then release your vehicle once any other outstanding issues have been resolved. 6. You’ll receive an email or text receipt confirming payment. Benefits for you The new system means payments can be made from anywhere and by anyone nominated by the driver. It will be translated into in several languages and will be available 24/7, so payments can be made at any time. This means you’ll be able to move off...

International road haulage: operator licences and permits The licences and permits you need to operate gross vehicle weight vehicles above 3.5 tonnes on international journeys from the UK. 1:07pm, 21 December 2018: Extended the deadline to apply for 2019 permits from 11:59pm on 21 December 2018 to 11:59pm on 18 January 2019 ________________________________________ You’re getting this email because you subscribed to ‘Brexit’ updates on GOV.UK. Unsubscribe from ‘Brexit’ Unsubscribe from ‘Professional driving of lorries, buses and coaches’ View and manage your subscriptions Is this email useful? Answer some questions to tell us...

ECMT permit application date extended The deadline to apply for a European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) permit has now been extended until 11.59 pm on 18 January 2019. ECMT permits will allow you to continue operating in the EU after March 2019 in the event of ‘no deal’. The duty of a responsible government is to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes including a no deal scenario. Short-term (monthly) permits You will no longer be able to apply for a short-term permit (valid for 30 days). If you are unsuccessful in applying for an annual permit you’ll be automatically considered for a short-term permit. We’ll publish more information on short-term permits in early 2019. European Commission proposals for continued road freight access On 19 December 2018, the European Commission proposed steps to ensure that UK hauliers can continue carrying goods into the EU for a limited period after exiting in the event of no deal. Until the detail of these proposals is agreed and adopted by the European Parliament and Council, businesses should continue with their contingency plans. An ECMT permit will provide continued access to EU markets whatever the outcome of negotiations. Read the Department for Transport’s response to the proposals Apply for a permit Annual and short-term permits will be allocated for 2019 after the application period has ended at 11.59pm on 18 January 2019. They won’t be allocated on a first come first served basis. Find out more information and how to apply for an ECMT...

The latest written decisions by traffic commissioners have been published. In two of the cases, the operator licences will be revoked. One of the public inquiries centred on a company who didn’t have a transport manager for over 27 months. The other hearing concerned an AdBlue device, a driver conviction, maintenance issues, a failure to meet undertakings and concerns over drivers’ hours compliance. One transport manager was disqualified indefinitely. Applications by two limited companies have also been refused. In one of the cases, the Traffic Commissioner said the director’s lack of honesty and failure to convince him that matters were in hand meant the business was not fit to hold a licence. In another case, a Deputy Traffic Commissioner refused to return an impounded vehicle to its...

Check at Newton Aycliffe. 2 vehicles,3 drivers, but 5 driver tachograph cards!! How does that work?? Easily when 2 drivers were still abroad!! Unauthorised cards used in order to falsify records. offences & defect prohibitions issued. £3660 in FPN’s & both vehicles...

The deal recently negotiated by the UK Government provides a framework for continued open transport access between the UK and EU for both businesses and consumers. We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. It is however the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes including the unlikely event of no deal. So, you can prepare contingency plans for the unlikely event of a ‘no deal’, you can apply for an ECMT permit to continue operating in the EU after 29 March 2019. Applying for permits Applications for 2019 permits are open. You can apply any time before 11:59pm on Friday 21 December 2018. Permits are not allocated on a first come first served basis, so you can apply at any time during the application period. The application period ends on 21 December 2018 and permits will be allocated in early 2019. You’ll need to be registered on the online Vehicle Operator Licensing system to...

TC turns down licence bid from haulier who used names of legitimate operators to get work Joan Aitken criticises applicant who produced false documents to suggest he had a valid licence Traffic commissioners take their role as gatekeepers to the haulage, bus and coach industries very seriously. They know that compliant operators like you expect unscrupulous practices to be dealt with – because they can affect your business. Tackling the disreputable operators who want to get a licence is just as important as taking out those who don’t stick to the same rules you do. In a recent case, Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner turned down a haulier’s application because he used the names of genuine operators to convince others he had permission to run vehicles. Miss Aitken said the Dundee based sole trader did this “for his own devious purposes”. The applicant had no place within goods vehicle operation, she added. He gave copies of search records for licences to a construction company to make them believe he had a valid operator’s licence. But the documents were false. The applicant misled the company into giving him work – taking it away from legitimate and compliant hauliers. Miss Aitken concluded that the sole trader had offended against fair competition and road...

Guidelines on how the levy operates and changes from February 2019 This document outlines how the HGV Levy operates for non-UK registered heavy goods vehicles. It includes guidance on the features of the levy, how to pay it and how it is enforced. It also gives details on changes to the levy from February 2019....