Member News – 25 February 2026

25 February 2026

Your weekly member email from Logistics UK sharing the latest updates addressing industry-relevant developments, legislation and compliance updates and campaigns to help you stay informed.

In this issue:

• Live consultation: mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval.
• Logistics UK response to HM Treasury’s eVED consultation. 
• Severn Crossings – upcoming maintenance and closures. 
• Logistics UK launches weights and dimensions policy asks. 
• Logistics UK Waste Forum Working Group. 
• Reminder: drivers are the backbone of logistics – and we need your help to tell that story. 
• NaVCIS freight bulletin.

Live consultation: mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval

Since 7 January, the Department for Transport has been seeking views on mandating vehicle safety technologies in GB type approval.

The proposal would mandate 18 safety technologies for mass-produced vehicles, improve alignment with NI/EU requirements and set out transitional maintenance and considerations for smaller manufacturers.

Logistics UK is preparing its response and members are encouraged to share their views. Please send comments to Arthur Gribbin by 15 April 2026.

Logistics UK response to HM Treasury’s eVED consultation

In the Autumn budget, the Chancellor announced the introduction of a mileage-based tax on battery electric (EV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) cars of 3 pence per mile from April 2028. The government is introducing eVED due to the decrease in fuel duty revenue. According to the Treasury, fuel duty receipts are forecast to decline to around half current levels (to around £12 billion) by the 2030s as more people switch to electric cars.

Since the announcement, the Treasury launched a consultation to gain insight from industry and the public on how such a tax might be implemented. This consultation is open for responses until 18 March.

As the scope of the eVED will not include light commercial vehicles or HGVs, and only includes cars, Logistics UK will submit a brief response, focusing on the possible future extension of eVED to these vehicles. The response aims to highlight:

• The need for more transparency around future cost and the timeline for implementing eVED to vehicles beyond cars, including asking for clarity over what constitutes a “mature” EV market for light commercial vehicles and HGVs.
• The investment that many fleets have already made into acquiring EVs, and the challenge of making the total cost of ownership for these vehicles add up, with the addition of the eVED in future.
• The administrative burden on fleets for registering and submitting mileage.
• Raising concern around the implementation in Northern Ireland of eVED, as the Republic of Ireland has no equivalent, and the submitted mileage does not account for location (ie, if driving in the Republic of Ireland, or EU, any car registered in the UK will be required to pay eVED).

Severn Crossings – upcoming maintenance and closures

National Highways has confirmed a series of planned closures on both the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge over the coming weeks, to carry out essential maintenance including expansion joint repairs and surfacing works. 

M4 Prince of Wales Bridge (Overnight closures, 21:00–06:00)

Closures will take place on multiple nights from 19 February, as well as across several dates in late February and mid-March. All traffic will be diverted via the M48 Severn Bridge, with freight movements managed as usual during planned closures.

M48 Severn Bridge (Weekend and overnight closures)

The bridge will see several weekend long closures between 27 February and 23 March, running from Friday evening (20:00) to Monday morning (06:00), with additional overnight works. These closures allow maintenance teams to maximise efficiency on this heavily used commuter route. Diversions will be via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge. 

All works are weather dependent, and updates will be provided if plans change. National Highways will continue to share updates online and via social media, and members are encouraged to pass this information on across their networks.

Additionally, since 23 February, overnight works are taking place for up to two weeks at M4 J23a Magor, including the installation of temporary traffic signals in partnership with the Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council.

Logistics UK launches weights and dimensions policy asks

Logistics UK is launching its policy work into addressing the current weights and dimensions restrictions in the UK for HGVs. Working in collaboration with other trade associations for a unified industry voice, Logistics UK is looking for business use cases and experiences to strengthen its policy asks.

Many members have shared that they would benefit from heavier and longer vehicles. This is particularly the case for members who operate, or are looking to operate, battery electric HGVs, where the heavier powertrain has impacted business operations.

Logistics UK is looking to hear from members and understand experiences on any of the following areas:

• Where the heavier battery in an HGV powertrain has impacted the utilisation of electric vehicles.
• Where business models run full loads and would be positively impacted by the introduction of longer or heavier vehicle regulations.
• Where organisations have compiled research into business operations and whether these could be improved by longer or heavier vehicles.
• How addressing the weights and dimensions issues for electric HGVs would enable the operation of more electric HGVs.

Please email Maddi Solloway-Price to contribute.

Logistics UK Waste Forum Working Group

The next Waste Forum Working Group meeting will take place on Thursday 5 March at European Metal Recycling’s electric vehicle battery recycling facility in Birmingham.

Members will hear from Lindsey Barnett, National Account Manager for the battery centre, who will provide a tour of the facility and a presentation on the battery recycling process, as well as share the issues they encounter.

Following member feedback, Phil Breen, DVSA’s Earned Recognition National Account Manager, will present to the group about DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme and its relevance to operators in the waste sector. This will be followed by Kay Bevan, DVLA’s Corporate Services Relationship Manager, who will discuss the driver licence renewal process, notifying medical conditions, and common reasons licence applications are delayed.

Members will also share their experiences ahead of the Simpler Recycling in England food waste collections rollout from 31 March 2026, as well as common subjects Waste Forum members contact Logistics UK’s Member Advice Centre about.

The Waste Forum Working Group is open to members who operate waste collection vehicles in the course of their business, members who have an interest in the waste sector, or any businesses that provide commercial and/or residential waste-related services.

To join the group, or for more information, please contact the group secretary, Tom Griffith.

Reminder: drivers are the backbone of logistics – and we need your help to tell that story

Generation Logistics is launching Drivers: Unpacked, a new campaign designed to challenge stereotypes and show young people (16-24) what modern driving careers really look like, from lifestyle and earnings to progression and opportunity. To make it work, we need real drivers and real stories. We are looking for members willing to support short, informal case studies or in-cab content, with Generation Logistics handling delivery. If you can help showcase the people behind the wheel and inspire the next generation of drivers, please contact Bethany Windsor by 27 February.

NaVCIS freight bulletin

The fortnightly National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) Freight Crime Intelligence Bulletin provides relevant and up to date information and intelligence to police and the logistics industry for the prevention and detection of crime.

Read the update here.

Average EU and UK forecourt prices

Please find the average EU and UK forecourt prices here.