Transport secretary Grant Shapps is aiming to “urgently” tighten the laws surrounding mobile phone use while driving to ensure motorists can be prosecuted for taking photographs or for using the internet. The current law prevents drivers from using a hand-held mobile phone for ‘interactive communication’ – essentially to make calls or text – without a hands-free system. A number of people caught using their phones to take photos or film while driving have escaped prosecution because their lawyers successfully argued such activity does not fit that description. The government will now take forward a review that will tighten up the law to ensure that any driver caught texting, taking photos, browsing the internet or scrolling through a music playlist while driving can be prosecuted. Shapps said: “We recognise that staying in touch with the world while travelling is an essential part of modern-day life but we are also committed to making our roads safe. Drivers who use a hand-held mobile phone are hindering their ability to spot hazards and react in time – putting people’s lives at risk.” The change to the law, which follows recommendations in a report by the Transport Select Committee, will prevent “reckless driving and reduce accidents on our roads”, according to Shapps. Government research shows that a driver looking at a phone for two seconds while travelling at 30mph will travel blind for 100 feet. Ministers are also looking at the current penalties in place for hand-held mobile phone use while driving. However, there are no plans to ban hands-free phone use.The government expects the new proposals to be in place by early
Origin: Government to close mobile phone use ‘loophole’
Government
UK government plans green number plates for EVs
The UK government has begun an official consultation on introducing green numbers plates to electric and zero emissions cars. The scheme, which was originally proposed last year, aims to raise awareness of electric and hydrogen vehicles, as well as ease the introduction and policing of low emission zones, vehicle lanes and parking spaces. It would see the UK join a growing number of countries that identify zero emissions cars separately from combustion-powered ones, including Norway, Canada and China. The consultation will be used to determine which vehicles would be eligible for the number plate, its design, and how such a scheme would be rolled out to existing EV and hydrogen car owners. Early design proposals include a fully green number plate with black lettering, the addition of a green flash on the plate, or the addition of a green dot or symbol. “The UK is in the driving seat of global efforts to tackle vehicle emissions and climate change and improve air quality, but we want to accelerate our progress,” Transport secretary Grant Shapps said of the announcement. “Green number plates are a really positive and exciting way to help everyone recognise the increasing number of electric vehicles on our roads.” It is the latest stage in the government’s Road to Zero strategy, a £1.5bn investment aimed at helping the UK reach net zero emissions by 2050. According to the department of transport, the UK has seen record numbers of zero emissions vehicles registered since its introduction last
Origin: UK government plans green number plates for EVs
Tory government pledges £25bn for road improvement
Chancellor Sajid Javid has outlined a £25bn road network improvement plan to get underway in 2020, in a speech at the annual Conservative Party Conference. The scheme is planned to get underway in 2020, making use of a ‘national roads fund’ set aside by Javid’s predecessor Phillip Hammond. Further funding, Javid said, will come from taxes and borrowing, augmented by “record low interest rates”. The first works to be undertaken will include the completion of the dualling of the A66 Trans-Pennine expressway and A46 Newark bypass, and improvement works to Manchester’s Simister Island interchange. Work will also get underway on the new A248 trunk road between Cambridge and Milton Keynes, and the often-congested A12 in the east of England will be widened. Alongside works to improve journeys for drivers, Javid has reaffirmed a commitment to improving Britain’s public transport network. Bus services nationwide stand to benefit from a £220 million cash injection, with £50m devoted to creating the country’s first ‘all-electric bus town or city’. Javid said buses “haven’t been given the attention they deserve from politicians, but they are still the backbone of our public transport in most of the country”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was instrumental in replacing London’s much-criticised ‘bendy’ buses with the New Routemaster, underpinning his 2012 London Mayor election campaign with a promise to improve the capital’s transport infrastructure. Also on the cards are a series of ‘superbus networks’, which will lead to councils building more bus lanes to encourage service providers to offer more routes. A trial will be held in Cornwall next year. Javid has also voiced an ambition for all city buses in the country to offer contactless payment, as the technology becomes more universally
Origin: Tory government pledges £25bn for road improvement
Government proposes night-time ban on new drivers
A new graduated licence system in the UK could ban new drivers from the road at night as the Government seeks to improve road safety. The system, which the Department for Transport (DfT) says is being considered by ministers, would impose more stringent restrictions upon newly qualified drivers in an effort to reduce the number of crashes on Britain’s roads. Figures suggest that one in five drivers have a crash within a year of passing their driving test. The DfT claims a ban on night-time driving, as well as a statutory minimum learning period and a passenger age limit, could help to reduce this figure. It remains unclear how long after passing one’s test the restrictions would be in place. Current legislation means new drivers are automatically banned after accumulating six points in their first two years on the road, as opposed to the usual 12 points. Similar schemes are already in place in parts of the US, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. In California, for example, learner drivers must undergo 10 hours of night-time training and be accompanied by a guardian no younger than 25 until completion of the first of three mandated ‘steps’. Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy for the RAC, backed the proposals, saying: “Young drivers sadly are overrepresented in road traffic collisions so we welcome plans to improve their safety. Graduated driver licensing has the benefit of providing a more controlled environment when learning how to drive.” Despite offering support to the plans, Lyes suggested any new law must not inhibit young people’s job prospects, arguing that it “must be balanced so it does not disadvantage young drivers who need to use vehicles for night work”. The proposed scheme forms part of the DfT’s road safety action plan, which will be published in full later this week. Road Safety Minister Michael Ellis said: “We want to explore in greater detail how graduated driver licensing, or aspects of it, can help new drivers to stay safe and reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads.” The most significant recent change to the driver qualification process came in 2017, when students’ ability to operate and follow a sat-nav became a central part of the driving
Origin: Government proposes night-time ban on new drivers
Government proposes nighttime ban on new drivers
A new graduated licence system in the UK could see new drivers taken off the road at night, as the government seeks to improve road safety. The system, which the Department for Transport (DfT) says is being considered by ministers, would see more stringent restrictions imposed upon newly qualified drivers in an effort to reduce the number of crashes on Britain’s roads. Figures suggest that one fifth of drivers have a crash within a year of passing their driving test. The DfT claims a ban on nighttime driving, as well as a statutory minimum learning period and passenger age limit, could help to reduce this figure. It remains unclear how long after passing one’s test the restrictions would be in place. Current legislation means new drivers are automatically banned after accumulating six points in their first two years on the road, as opposed to the usual 12 points. Similar schemes are already in place in parts of America, Australia and Sweden. In California, for example, learner drivers must undergo 10 hours of night-driving training and be accompanied by a guardian no younger than 25 until completion of the first of three mandated ‘steps’. Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy for the RAC, backed the proposals, saying: “Young drivers sadly are overrepresented in road traffic collisions so we welcome plans to improve their safety. “Graduated driver licensing has the benefit of providing a more controlled environment when learning how to drive,” he added. Despite offering support to the plans, Lyes suggested any new law must not inhibit young people’s access to jobs, arguing that it “must be balanced so it does not disadvantage young drivers who need to use vehicles for night work”. The proposed scheme forms part of the DfT’s road safety action plan, which will be published in full later this week. Road Safety Minister Michael Ellis said: “We want to explore in greater detail how graduated driver licensing, or aspects of it, can help new drivers to stay safe and reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads.” The most significant recent change to the driver qualification process came in 2017, when students’ ability to operate and follow a satnav became a central part of the driving
Origin: Government proposes nighttime ban on new drivers
JLR gets 500m from government to develop electric cars
JLR gets £500m from government to develop electric cars The loan guarnatee will boost EV work carried out by Jaguar Land Rover Jaguar Land Rover has been awarded a £500 million loan guarantee by the UK Government to help develop electric cars. The move was signed off by Theresa May, and she told a meeting of industry leaders on Monday (16th July) that the funding would be made up of £500 million from UK Export Finance – the government-backed credit agency – and a further £125 million from commercial lenders. Reports say that Mrs May met with representatives from companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Vauxhall, and Nissan, plus energy firms including the National Grid, BP and Shell. She told those assembled that the government was committed to supporting the car industry in a switch to electric vehicles. Earlier this month JLR announced significant investment in its Castle Bromwich plant as the company plans to build electric cars there, including the next-generation pure-electric Jaguar XJ saloon.
Origin: JLR gets 500m from government to develop electric cars
Ontario government eyes raising driving fees months after freezing them
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is pictured during a photo opportunity with New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Wednesday May 22, 2019.Chris Young / Canadian Press Less than a year after freezing driver and vehicle fees in Ontario, the Progressive Conservative government is considering raising them again, while bracing for a negative reaction.In a proposal quietly posted to a regulatory registry for public comment, the government says it is seeking to introduce annual fee increases of two per cent across the board for various driver, vehicle and carrier products and services.These moderate fee increases will allow the government to continue delivering services and move towards full cost recovery without increasing taxes for all Ontarians, said the posting.Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek said Wednesday that he is looking at implementing predictable increases, after the previous Liberal government introduced multiple increases per year at larger amounts.We are looking to see how we can attain that cost recovery model, but in a way that reflects peoples ability to pay and were going to try to tie it to inflation, but as I said, no decisions have been made and I look forward to peoples responses on that, he said.The posting on the regulatory registry was up for just five days and removed on Monday. Only two comments were received, the ministry said.The fee increases would start July 1 and continue for five years, under the proposal.It is anticipated there will be a neutral to negative reaction from drivers, vehicle owners and commercial carriers, with the impact on drivers and vehicle owners estimated to be low as proposed increases are minimal and will be spread over a five-year planning horizon, the proposal says.The government froze some driver fees last August, cancelling increases that had been set for the following month, leaving the fee for a new drivers licence, for example, at $90 instead of $97.People are fed up with paying more and more every time they need to renew their licence or take a driving test, Premier Doug Ford said in a statement at the time.Later, the government also cancelled increases for some passenger, commercial and farm vehicle and driver fees that were set to take effect Jan. 1, 2019. Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said the government is saying one thing and doing another.The Ford government made a big deal about not raising license fees and now theyve done this quietly, hoping no one would notice, he said in a statement.The Ford government has put themselves in a very tight fiscal box. Theyve reduced their revenues through tax cuts for the rich and corporations as well as ending cap and trade. When revenue is reduced, it limits your
Origin: Ontario government eyes raising driving fees months after freezing them
Ontario government relaxes regulations to draw automaker interest, business
A worker on the production line at Chryslers plant in Windsor, Ontario, works on one of the companys new minivans January 18, 2011 as the company celebrated the production launch of the new Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country.Geoff Robins / The Canadian Press An Ontario government announcement June 12 outlined a series of regulatory changes that would cut red tape as part of an effort to draw new investment from automakers. Economic Development Minister Todd Smith presented the changes at the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association conference in Windsor, Ontario, reports Automotive News Canada. “We’re making it faster, easier and cheaper for companies to comply with the regulations that we do need, while at the same time removing regulations that do nothing to protect workers’ health and safety,” Smith said in a statement. “With less red tape, Ontario will see more investment. That means we need shovel-ready land to help attract the next Honda, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, GM or Ford.” An example of one of the regulations being relaxed is the dollar-value threshold for on-site construction projects that automakers must report to the province. The bar currently sits at $50,000 or higher – a value set in 1991 – but will be raised so only factory improvements worth more than $250,000 need to be reported. The auto sector in Ontario employs roughly 100,000 workers, but faces stiff competition for new investment, mostly from vehicle and parts assembly plants in Mexico and the southern U.S. that can build cars at lower
Origin: Ontario government relaxes regulations to draw automaker interest, business
B.C. government steps in to recharge EV incentive program
Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of B.C., plugs in a Chevrolet Volt at the Vancouver International Auto Show.Ric Ernst/Postmedia You’ve heard of range anxiety. How about grant anxiety? Two days ago, on May 15th, the B.C. electric vehicle rebate program’s cupboard was bare. “We ran out of money,” said Blair Qualey, president and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of British Columbia, the group that manages the CEVforBC rebate program. Yesterday, the province recharged the EV incentive program with a $10 million infusion. “We’ve been talking with government since May 1st encouraging them to be prepared to move money quickly,” Qualey explained. “You can never really exactly gauge what day (we’d run out of money), but we guestimated Wednesday of this week and as it turned out we were right on.” On May 1 there was $6.5 million in the fund; two weeks later it was empty. Qualey says the average grant is in the $4,700 range, meaning approximately 1,382 new qualifying vehicles have been purchased through the program in that time. So why the massive uptake in EV sales in the past two weeks? Call it a perfect storm of the federal incentive program kicking in on May 1, record-setting high gas prices in B.C., and an increasing number of new EV models coming to Canadian showrooms. Qualey explained that when the federal incentive program was first announced in April, EV sales across the country essentially stopped as consumers waited for that funding to take affect. “Between then and May 1, everybody was sitting on their hands waiting. People were still putting deposits down for EVs but were waiting until May 1 so they could get the federal grant,” he said. “So there was this huge bubble of demand building and building, so that when May 1 came there was a huge rush.” The B.C. government allocated $42 million to the CEVforBC program in their annual budget announcement back in February, meaning there is still $32 million available. Said Qualey: “I think things will slow down a little bit as we’re through that initial bubble, but people are paying attention to this, and gas prices are certainly hurting people’s pocketbooks these days.” He added he’s been getting calls from dealer principals in the past couple of weeks saying 80 per cent of their recent sales have been
Origin: B.C. government steps in to recharge EV incentive program
Exclusive: Government won’t reinstate plug-in hybrid grants
The UK government will not reinstate a grant for the purchase of new plug-in hybrid vehicles, Jesse Norman, Minister of State for the Department for Transport, has told Autocar. The grant was modified in October last year, with only electric vehicles qualifying for a £3500 subsidy. Previously, the subsidies for hybrid and electric vehicles ranged from £2500 to £4500, depending on the model’s zero-emissions range. “We have to spend the tax payers’ money in a way that reflects the changing market,” said Norman. “The evidence was very clear: owners of plug-in hybrids were not plugging them in, negating the environmental benefits and undermining the incentives. “Instead, our focus is very much on pushing battery electric vehicles. It is where we have to get to and where we can see the biggest benefits. If I look at the electric bicycle industry and how that has taken off and been opened up then I see great opportunity. Today you can buy an electric bike at Aldi for £500 – and that wasn’t the case a few years ago. “I expect the prices of electric cars to come down dramatically in the same way and I’m not prepared to spend tax payers’ money incentivising technology that doesn’t reflect this changing market.” Manufacturers of plug-in hybrid vehicles and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) had vigorously campaigned for an incentive to be reintroduced, saying its withdrawal had damaged the transition to low emission vehicles. Last month sales of plug-in hybrids dropped 34 per cent to 1922 units, compared with 2929 last April when the incentive was still in place. While supply issues of the latest plug-in hybrids have been identified as one reason for this, SMMT chief Mike Hawes said the figures were also “evidence of the consequences of prematurely removing upfront purchase incentives before the market is ready.” Mitsubishi, maker of the best-selling Outlander PHEV presented evidence suggesting that UK owners of the car cover half their average weekly mileage in electric mode, substantially lessening the model’s environmental impact. Although Norman didn’t confirm if the government’s decision had been based on data from Holland, which indicated that many plug-in hybrid cars weren’t being charged, when asked about Mitsubishi’s UK-specific data he added: “I am not prepared to look back and make retrospective changes that undermine the benefits full battery-electric vehicles can bring.” Reports suggest the German government is on the cusp of raising its grant for full electric cars to €4000 (£3400) – a figure which must be matched by the selling manufacturer – on cars costing less than €30,000
Origin: Exclusive: Government won’t reinstate plug-in hybrid grants
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