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Prime Minister urged to press on with Future of Transport Bill by 50+ transport technology companies and Logistics UK
A letter to the Prime Minister signed by over 50 businesses in the intelligent transport sector has called on the government to move forward with a Future of Transport Bill in the upcoming King’s Speech.
The open letter, organised by Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), has highlighted the need for a bill in order to deliver the right environment for transport innovation to continue to thrive in the UK, including by setting out regulations for self- and remote-driving vehicles, moving forward with industry reforms to enable smarter ticketing options, providing certainty on the future of micro-mobility schemes and supporting the development of Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
“The Logistics UK business group supports this call and urges government to forge ahead with the Future of Transport Bill,” says Ben Garratt, Deputy Director of Public Affairs at Logistics UK.
“We want to see government championing and showcasing the innovation that is delivering an increasingly productive, green and strategic logistics system for the country.”
“It’s important that government actively supports innovation adoption in our sector, with logistics receiving an appropriate share of government funding.
“If the government shows leadership in supporting the use of cutting-edge technologies across UK logistics, with trials and the development of new regulatory frameworks, logistics can act as a test bed for the wider transport sector.”
Logistics UK will keep members updated on its progress.
*www.logistics.org.uk/campaigns
Published On: 07/09/2023 15:00:00
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In brief
Changes to reporting to DAERA SPS inspection facilities
From 5 September 2023, the Northern Ireland Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) will use Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) to notify traders of the requirement to report to DAERA Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) inspection facilities for the application of SPS checks and controls. Live testing of this process began on Tuesday 29 August.
This is not a new requirement, but an enhancement to how DAERA currently informs traders of the requirement to report to DAERA SPS inspection facilities. When moving goods from GB to Northern Ireland (NI), a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) number is generated by the GVMS. A GMR links together all the declarations which have been submitted for the goods on a vehicle.
In advance of goods arriving in NI, and before disembarking the ferry, the driver must log in to GVMS and check the status of their GMR to determine whether:
- they may continue the journey to their destination (provided they are not required to report for checks by other control bodies), or
- they must report to a DAERA SPS inspection facility for application of SPS checks and controls.
Members are asked to advise their drivers that on occasion, DAERA portal inspection staff may continue to identify additional vehicles for inspection at disembarkation.
Members with further queries should contact DAERA here.
Can I drive while my application is with DVLA?
Section 88 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 gives provisions, in certain circumstances, for drivers to continue driving even though they do not hold a current driving licence. In practice, this will be when they have applied to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to renew their licence, but the licence expires while the application is being processed.
An updated guide to the rules for driving while waiting for your licence can be found here.
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