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Government cuts red tape for motorists
Date: 15 December 2011 | Author: Jack Carfrae
The Government has announced a series of landmark motoring red tape cuts, which will theoretically make life easier for fleets.
The move comes as part of the Road Transport Red Tape Challenge, which was launched by prime minister David Cameron in April, and aims to reduce what the Department for Transport describes as "unnecessary, burdensome and overcomplicated regulation".
A total of 142 regulations will be scrapped or revised, including: phasing out the paper counterpart driving licence, only issuing V5C registration documents to fleets when necessary and scrapping insurance certificates.
The DfT also announced that local authorities will now have to fully consider the interests of businesses before introducing a Workplace Parking Levy scheme. One such scheme is already in place in Nottingham and requires firms with 10 or more parking spaces to pay an annual charge of £279 per space. Similar schemes have been under consideration in Bristol, Liverpool and other UK cities.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening said today: "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."
Other changes include the scrapping of annual SORN renewals, removing the need for drivers to prove they have insurance when applying for tax, a limited exemption in drivers' hours for Territorial Army members and the potential reduction of a need for Certificates of Professional Competence (CPCs) in some areas.
