Thursday, December 15 2011
There will be significant changes made to some road regulations as a result of the Road Transport Red Tape Challenge, a government process aiming to get rid of unnecessary and overcomplicated regulations.
Changes to be put into practice by the Department for Transport:
•The regulation requiring motorists to hold a paper counterpart to their driving licence is to be scrapped by 2015- this could save drivers up to £8m!
•Improvements made to the regulations surrounding Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN). Once drivers have notified the DVLA that their vehicle is SORN, they will no longer have to worry about making an annual SORN renewal.
•Hard-copies of V5C vehicle registration certificates will only be issued to fleet operators when needed, with the potential to be rolled out to private motorists.
•Introduction of a limited exemption from drivers’ hours rules so that those who also drive as Territorial Army reservists in their own time may continue to do so.
A grand total of 142 road transport regulations will now be scrapped or improved under this new initiative.
Transport Secretary, Justine Greening: “Motorists shouldn’t have to keep numerous bits of paper just to prove they can drive and have bought insurance – we live in digital age and we need to embrace that.
“Reducing the number of rules and regulations in our life is absolutely vital to removing barriers to economic growth and increasing individual freedoms. This whole process just proves that there’s so much sitting on our statute books that at the very least needs a good spring clean or can be scrapped entirely.”
Business and Enterprise Minister, Mark Prisk: “I’m delighted that so many motoring regulations will be scrapped or improved, particularly those that affect business.
“The Red Tape Challenge has built up real momentum since it was launched in April. Overall, of over 1200 regulations considered so far, we have agreed to scrap or improve well over 50 per cent.
“We have already published regulations covering 12 themes, and there are 13 themes to come, so there remains huge scope for reducing the burden of regulation on business and individuals even further.”