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Fleet News at 10 panellists criticised the Government’s attempts to ease the shortage of HGV drivers by proposing drivers only take one test for both rigid and artics, instead of two separate tests, plus removing the reverse exercise element from the test.

Matt Hammond, head of fleet at M Group Services, said: “It’s ridiculous. You need to work up to an artic – it’s an incredibly skilled job and you learn your trade as you go through from 7.5-tonne to rigid to artic.”

He added: “The problem isn’t drivers getting through the test – this isn’t a new problem. It’s come because nobody wants to drive an HGV. It’s not a shortage of drivers; it’s a shortage of drivers who want to drive an HGV. We need to review the whole industry and how we treat these guys.”

Lorna McAtear, National Grid fleet manager, described the proposals as “bonkers”.

“I’m hoping the changes don’t come in. It’s a sticking plaster, a reaction not a response. There is no respect for what is an incredibly skilled job,” she said.

“It’s hard to recruit young people and females when you have shoddy facilities out on the road. We expect people to work overnight unsavoury hours, not get as much money for it – there’s just no respect. We have to make this industry attractive again.”

Viewer Renny Thomson, a former LGV driver and instructor and now a health and safety adviser, agreed that the underlying root cause of the shortage is “the way that drivers are treated – by the general public and motorists, by the distribution centres where they deliver, by the Government for not having a policy to encourage truck stops and by motorway services not being fully open overnight to provide welfare facilities”.

However, he added that the proposal was to move assessment of reversing and coupling/uncoupling out of the DVSA Testing procedure so that it was carried out by 3rd party training providers. They would, he insisted, still be tested/assessed on their ability to reverse.

Hammond responded: “For me, the concern is it’s fast tracking the whole process and the experience the driver will get from working through the system. It takes years to get the experience; they are looking to short-cut a system that shouldn’t be short-cut.”

Meanwhile, viewer Graham Telfer, fleet manager at Gateshead Council, had concerned over the skills and knowledge of some trainers, pointing out: “Unlike car driving trainers who are on Government Register, HGV trainers are not required to register or have a qualification.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News.

Annual road casualty statistics for Great Britain show the number of people injured and killed using e-scooters for the first time.

The Department for Transport’s (DfT) figures show that there were 484 casualties involving e-scooters in 2020, of which one person was killed, 128 were seriously injured and 355 slightly injured.

E-scooter firms were given the go-ahead by the Government to start trials on UK roads in July 2020, with schemes being set up with local authorities across the country as people looked for alternatives to public transport, because of Covid-19.

However, road safety charity IAM RoadSmart says that the results of these pilot schemes have been repeatedly delayed, meaning a full review has yet to be conducted.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “By delaying yet again the results of the pilot schemes we have another Christmas looming where people will be buying and using a totally unregulated form of transport in the UK.

“The pilots were launched in July 2020 and are now not due to finish until March 2022, plus the time required after that for analysis and legislation – this has taken far too long in our opinion.”

In the meantime, Greig says the police should make it clear that anyone caught riding an e-scooter outside private land or a trial area will have their vehicle seized immediately.

“E-scooters may have a role to play in the future transport mix, but this can only happen once their legal status has been made completely clear and that cannot happen soon enough,” he added.

Road deaths and casualties during 2020  

DfT figures from the Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2020 report show that last year 1,460 people were killed on Britain’s roads, which is a fall of 17% compared with the figure in 2019.

In 2020, there were also 115,584 reported road casualties of all severities, which was a fall of 25% from the previous year.

However, during much of 2020, the UK was in lockdown and the RAC estimate that miles travelled in the country were 21% down on the previous year.

Data from the DfT also shows that in 2020, 141 cyclists were killed in road accidents. This was up 41% from 100 deaths in the previous year. The number of children killed on Britain’s roads also increased, from 49 in 2019 to 52 in 2020.

David Walker, head of road and leisure safety at RoSPA, said: “By any measure 2020 was an abnormal year. It is of no surprise that the overall number of road casualties fell. This is in no small part due to less traffic on the roads.

“With traffic levels returning to pre-pandemic levels and some understandable reluctance towards using public transport, we must today continue to focus on the harm to motorists and more significantly, from motorists.”

He continued: “We welcome the fact that more people have been getting out on their bikes and recognise the reduction in the rate of deaths per mile travelled. However, this should not distract from the shocking fact that more cyclists and more children died on our roads than in the previous year.

“At RoSPA we believe that having more cyclists and pedestrians should not result in an increased number of serious and fatal accidents involving vulnerable road users.

“We must continue to act decisively if we want to maintain the position of British roads being among the safest in the world.”

With travel restrictions in place throughout 2020, there was a huge increase in the number of people electing to use active travel such as walking and cycling.

According to the DfT‘s Road Traffic Estimates in Great Britain 2020, pedal cycle traffic was up by 45.7% from the previous year.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “It is clear that the lockdown travel restrictions during the pandemic helped the year-on-year fall in road deaths.

“Rather than simply accept this as a dip in the records, we should use this moment as the catalyst to reset ‘zero’ road deaths as the target for the end of the decade.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

By Jennifer Ledsham, partner at Plexus Law

The RAC has called on the Government to consider reinstating hard shoulders on motorways.

A recent RAC poll found six in 10 drivers think that all-lane-running smart motorway schemes should be scrapped entirely, and the hard shoulder should be reinstated, whist retaining the technology that manages traffic flows and detects breakdowns.

It is not disputed that the technology deployed on smart motorways has reduced the risk of an accident between two moving vehicles, because it allows speed limits to be varied and traffic flows managed by the series of cameras covering the smart motorway network.

However, where hard shoulders have been removed, recent evidence suggests that the risk of a major accident involving a moving and stationary vehicle has increased, with stationary vehicles often stranded in a live line with the occupants of the vehicle akin to ‘sitting ducks’, hoping that vehicles approaching from behind will spot the hazard that their vehicle is posing and take evasive action in time, before the lane can be closed and traffic diverted to other live lanes.

In response to a number of tragic accidents and concerns raised by coroners, the Government requested an ‘Evidence Stocktake’ last year which recommended an 18-point action plan which included many features to enhance safety measures, such as reducing the distance between refuge points from 1.6 miles to 1 mile and the introduction of radar systems to detect broken down vehicles.

These recommendations appear to support the consensus amongst most drivers that more can be done to protect the safety of road users on smart motorways.

In addition to the recent actions of the RAC, the campaign group Smart Motorways Kill (SMK) suggested earlier this year that they would be seeking judicial review of the decision to implement smart motorways.

If such a review is sought, pending the outcome, the consequences could have a significant impact as reinstating hard shoulders would amount to 204 miles, or as Grant Shapps referenced, the land acquisition required would be the equivalent of 700 Wembley Stadiums.

Shapps has also previously commented that smart motorways are too expensive to scrap with the Government favouring taking steps to increase safety measures rather than reverting to the traditional hard shoulder.

Highways England have previously announced their intention to add a further 300 miles of smart motorway by 2025.

Based on the statistics, whilst this could lead to a lower incident rate overall, as traffic flow is more appropriately managed, the risk of a serious incident with a stationary vehicle is increased, with the risk of serious injury or unfortunately the risk of fatality, to the occupants.

There has been mounting pressure on insurers for many years to lower motor insurance premiums and the potential increase in the cost of claims from such accidents on smart motorways is unfortunately likely to ultimately be felt by the consumer as the costs of these claims are passed on by way of increased premiums.

The true cost of smart motorways may still yet to be seen.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

UK car production fell for the second consecutive month, in August, as the global semiconductor shortage continued to affect the automotive sector.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 37,246 cars were built in UK factories during August, a decline of 27%.

While manufacturing for the UK market increased by 3.3% in the month, the rise was equivalent to just 255 additional units and exports fell by 32.5%. The decline was driven by falling exports to faraway markets including Australia, the US and China. Exports to the EU held up better, down 4.9%, accounting for almost seven in every 10 cars exported in August.

Despite the challenges, production of the latest electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars surged to a new high, representing more than a quarter (27.6%) of all cars made. Since January, UK car factories have turned out 137,031 alternatively fuelled cars – 51,679 more than the same period in 2020.

Production in the year-to-date remains up, by 13.8%, to 589,607 cars. The performance, however, must be set in context against a Covid-hit 2020 as it remains significantly lower, by 32%, than in 2019.

The total is 42.8% down, equivalent to 440,920 fewer units, when compared against the five-year average for the first eight months of the year.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Another significant decline for UK car production is extremely worrying both for the sector and its many thousands of workers nationwide. While not the only factor at play, the impact of the semiconductor shortage on manufacturing cannot be overstated. Carmakers and their suppliers are battling to keep production lines rolling with constraints expected to continue well into 2022 and possibly beyond.

“Job support schemes such as furlough have proven such a lifeline to automotive businesses yet its cessation today comes at the worst time, with the industry still facing Covid-related stoppages which are damaging the sector and threatening the supply chain in particular. Other countries have extended their support; we need the UK to do likewise.”

Richard Peberdy, UK head of automotive at KPMG, added:

“Chip shortages continue to bite, but manufacturers will no doubt be reviewing how many cars they make – so lower levels of production will likely persist.

“Fewer cars rolling out of plants has helped to bump-up retail prices and carmakers, alongside retail networks, will want to hold on to the margin they’ve gained since the start of the pandemic.

“While production disruption will be hurting efficiency, a reduced volume focused on more profitable models will be an attractive balance that manufacturers won’t want to let go of. Over the short term, it’s helping to cover the costs of huge underutilised plants while they review options to right-size.

“Bigger price tags on forecourts could help to open a window for Chinese-owned carmakers in the UK, which may be more competitive on cost. At the Munich mobility show last month we saw this potential for a shake-up in the market, with an impressive exhibit of SUV, electric, autonomous and hydrogen models.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

ABB has launched the Terra 360, a 360kW electric vehicle (EV) charger.

The company claims the new device is the “world’s fastest” electric car charger.

It can deliver 62 miles of range in less than three minutes and can charge up to four vehicles at once.

“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, president of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “The Terra 360, with charging options that fit a variety of needs, is the key to fulfilling that demand and accelerating e-mobility adoption globally.”

Available in Europe from the end of 2021, ABB says the Terra 360 is designed with the daily needs and expectations of EV drivers in mind.

Its lighting system guides the user through the charging process and shows the State of Charge (SoC) of the EV battery and the residual time before the end of an optimal charge session.

As well as serving the needs of private EV drivers at fueling stations, convenience stores and retail locations, ABB expects the Terra 360 chargers to be installed at commercial premises to charge electric fleet cars, vans and trucks.

The devices are fully customisable and can be branded. There is also the option to include an integrated 27-inch advertisement screen to play video and pictures.

ABB has sold more than 460,000 electric vehicle chargers across more than 88 markets since 2010. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has shared some of most unusual reasons people have given for needing a replacement vehicle registration certificate (V5C).

My parrot destroyed it was among the most unusual reasons people shared with DVLA for needing a replacement document.

Other unusual reasons shared with DVLA, include: my child covered their schoolbook with it; I left it at a hotel in the Gobi Desert when driving across Asia during my gap year; and someone bought me a car for my birthday – they wrapped the keys in the V5C and I tore it open without knowing.

One person blamed their grandchildren who had taken their V5C outside and buried it in the mud, while another said it had blown out of the window and when I went to look for it, it was gone.

DVLA launched an online service to get a replacement V5C in September 2020. Motorists can order a replacement no matter the reason and since launch the service has been used more than 300,000 times (around 5,800 times a week).

Julie Lennard, DVLA chief executive, said: “Our online service to replace a V5C is quick and easy to use and means customers will receive their replacement vehicle registration certificate within the week. So whether you misplaced your V5C, it’s being digested by your pet or your kids have used it for arts and crafts – the quickest way to get a replacement is on GOV.UK.”

It costs £25 for a replacement V5C whether you go online or apply by post. The service to replace a lost or damaged V5C on Gov.uk followed the change address on vehicle log book service, launched in June, which has been used more than 1.6 million times. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Motorway service stations could be forced to end exclusive arrangements with charge point operators under new rules being considered by the Government.

Currently, the majority of motorway service areas in England have an exclusive provider of open access charge point services, which poses a potential risk when awarding cash from a new £950 million Rapid Charging Fund.

The fund aims to future-proof electrical capacity at motorway and major A road service areas to support the phase-out of petrol and diesel cars and vans.

Available in England-only as the provision of transport infrastructure is devolved, it will support the cost of providing additional or upgraded electrical connections at motorway and major A road service areas.

The fund will be administered by a delivery body which will: accept funding applications from motorway and major A road service areas; examine the applications to ensure the requested connection size is based on robust estimates of expected demand from a 100% zero emission vehicle fleet; and potentially act as the owner of the new/upgraded connection, leasing capacity to applicants.

However, with motorway service areas in England operating exclusive arrangements with charge point providers, ministers are concerned this could lead to any funding being challenged on state subsidy or other grounds.

The Competition and Markets Authority completed a study of the EV charging market in July 2021 and decided to open an investigation into these existing agreements at three of the major motorway service operators under the Competition Act 1998. It has yet to publish its findings.

In a zero-emission vehicle consultation, one of five on transport regulatory reform launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) yesterday (Tuesday, September 29), the Government says it is considering taking new powers to make the exclusive elements of existing charge point service arrangements void and unenforceable.

To ensure long-term competition is maintained at these sites, it says it is considering requiring service area operators and large fuel retailers to tender charge point service contracts openly and have a minimum of two – and at some sites more than two – different charge point operators at any particular site.

It says that the effect of this will be create more competition between charge point service providers at these sites for the benefit of consumers, and to reduce the legal risk to the fund.

It added: “We are considering requiring existing providers of charge point services at motorway service areas to make their charge points open access rather than only open to an exclusive network or group of networks or manufacturers.

“This would also extend to existing agreements for such services, which would be rendered void and unenforceable if the network were not to be opened.”

Furthermore, to ensure there is sufficient charge point availability at these strategically important sites on the network, it says it is considering further extending its powers to mandate that service area operators and large fuel retailers must meet minimum charge point numbers at specific sites, and at increasing levels over a period of time.

The Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) in its consultation ‘Future of transport regulatory review: zero emission vehicles’ is seeking views on new primary legislation that would give the Government powers to introduce requirements in four areas, including new powers to support the delivery of the Rapid Charging Fund.

The other three are examining the introduction of a statutory obligation for local authorities to plan for and provide charging infrastructure, requirements to install charge points in non-residential car parks and requirements to improve the experience for EV consumers.

Future of Transport consultations

With radical changes in transport expected over the next decade, the Government says it is making sure the right framework is in place to drive innovation, keep people safe and harness the benefits of new technologies right across the country.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “This is a hugely exciting time for transport in the UK.

“On our roads EVs are set to become the norm within the decade, on our seas autonomous and remotely operated vessels will increase efficiency and improve safety, and in our skies drones and novel aircraft will transform the way people and goods move around.

“Supporting these innovations will not only ensure high standards for consumers but also create a research-friendly environment so we can continue being world leaders in transport.

“We will create a safer, greener transport system that attracts investment and supports skilled jobs across the country.”

Alongside zero emission vehicles, consultations have been launched into modernising vehicle standards, maritime autonomy and remote operations, the future of flight and regulatory sandboxes – a defined space where new business models, technologies and policies can be deployed and used in a way that is safe and responsible.

On vehicle standards, the consultation says the Government wants to implement improved environmental standards and enforcement to better meet current and future challenges, particularly around self-driving vehicles.

It is proposing four areas where it wants to make changes, with the consultation seeking views on: providing a modern framework for tomorrow’s vehicles – regulating safety, security and environmental performance; establishing a flexible, proportionate, and responsive approach to regulating safety, security and environmental performance of vehicles; tackling tampering; and improving compliance, safety and security.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A preference for flexible working could make the rush hour a thing of the past, research by Wagonex has found.

The vehicle subscription specialist says the changes, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, may mean traffic congestion on roads and passenger surges on rail and bus services happening unexpectedly at different times of the day and on different times of the week.

Traditionally, rush hours have been between 6am and 9am, and 4pm to 6.30pm.

Tony Kernon, founder and CEO of Wagonex, said: “There are huge benefits to hybrid working.

“Individuals will be able to achieve a better work/life balance and businesses will have happier, more productive staff.

“With fewer people traveling to offices there could also be an environmental benefit and improvements in air quality.

“But one big downside is that life could well become even tougher for commuters.

“If employees can choose on which days they go to the office and have more flexibility in their working hours, it will become incredibly difficult to predict when and where travel peaks will occur.

“Commuters who drive to work may find they breeze into the office one day and then are stuck in tailbacks the next and those using public transport may be alone in carriages and on buses one day and packed in like sardines the next.”

Conducted by Yonder, the Wagonex survey polled 1,000 working age people and found:

• Close to two-fifths (37%) of respondents expect to work or study remotely more often in the future compared to before the pandemic.
• Younger respondents aged 18-24 (56%) and 25-34 (45%) are significantly more likely than the older age groups to expect to do so (35-44s 29%; 45-54s 32%; 55-64s 17%).
• The wealthier ABs (52%) and C1s (42%) are notably more likely to expect to work or study remotely more in the future compared to C2s (24%) and DEs (19%).
• Respondents that work in the public sector (52%) are significantly more likely than those working in the private sector (38%) to prefer working/studying remotely more in the future.
• Half of respondents (50%) expect to commute to and from work or their place of study primarily using their car.

This last point is supported by recent research from used car marketplace Heycar, which found 47% of commuters will travel to and from their office by car.

Dan Powell, senior editor at Heycar, said: “After so many months of lockdowns and social distancing, it’s understandable that one-in-two are uncomfortable with the prospect of being jammed into a train carriage or standing on a packed bus with dozens of strangers.

“As a result, our cars have taken on even more importance as a comfortable and reliable way to travel to work in a post-pandemic world.” By Graham Hill Thanks To Fleet News

Tesco is the UK’s best supermarket for electric car charge points a study by Electrifying.com has found.

The reasearch, which excluded ‘express’ or ‘local’ stores, found the retail giant has charge points at 45% of its stores, closely followed by Morrisons (40%).

Nearly one-in-five (19.7%) Asda stores have at least one place to plug in, Lidl 15%, Aldi 10%, while Sainsbury’s trails its rivals at 7.2%.

Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: “We expected more supermarkets to be doing better, but it’s still great to see how some of them have recognised that offering shoppers reliable car charging is not only good for business but will also help give the nation confidence to make the switch.

“Providing charging infrastructure at convenient locations is crucial to encourage drivers to go electric sooner, particularly the significant number that don’t have access to off-street parking.”

Many supermarkets have entered partnerships with charge point suppliers to increase their offering.

In December 2018, Volkswagen announced it had partnered with Tesco and Pod Point to install around 2,400 charging points for electric cars.

In April this year, the partnership provided its 500,000th free top-up – the equivalent of three million kWh of electricity.

Louise Goodland, head of retail partnerships at Tesco, said: “We are delighted to be recognised as the best supermarket for EV drivers in the UK.

“So far we’ve delivered more than 23 million miles worth of free, green charges and we’re continuing to roll out EV chargers to 600 Tesco stores across the UK.”

In October 2019, Morrisons unveiled its first 50 GeniePoint rapid charging points at its stores nationwide, with a further 50 planned last year.

A partnership between Pod Point and Lidl GB to install 350 rapid chargers by 2022 reached the 100th rapid charger milestone in February.

Lidl GB said “We are proud to offer rapid charging points for EVs at 130 of our stores.

“By 2022, we aim to have more than 350 stores with rapid charging points.”

Waitrose is set to extend its partnership with Shell and roll-out 800 new charge points in 100 Waitrose locations by 2025.

A Sainsbury’s spokesman added: “We have ambitious plans for our next generation of charging points. We want to offer charging points in more places and create a better customer experience.”

			2. average number of CPs per store	3. total stores (excluding express)	4. number of stores with at least one CP	5. total CPs across all supermarket stores
		1. percentage of stores with at least one CP (%)
1	Tesco	45.05	1.87	888	400	1660
2	Morrisons	40.04	0.46	497	199	230
3	Asda	19.71	0.37	614	121	225
4	Lidl	15	0.15	860	129	130
5	Aldi	10	0.2	900	90	180
6	Sainsbury’s	7.17	0.18	600	43	106
–	Waitrose	–	–	358	–
–	Booths	–	1.93	27	–	52
–	Iceland	–	–	900	–	–
–	Co-op	–	–	2600	–	–
–	M&S	–	–	959	–	–

South East sees 42% increase in charge points

Research by UK Power Networks has found the number of EV charge points added to the network in London, the East and South East has increased by nearly 2,700 in the past 12 months.

There are now over 9,000 charge points in London, the East and South East, served by UK Power Networks.

Shira Lappin, innovation project lead at UK Power Networks, said: “It’s important that we work with local and central government, charge point operators, customers and other stakeholders to ensure that the transition to Net Zero is a seamless one and everyone has access to the charging infrastructure they need.

“In the 12-month period between April 2020 and April this year, the number of charge points in our areas grew by 42%. However, there’s still a lot of work to do to meet the growing demand for EVs and charge points, and we’ll continue to be at the forefront of innovation to get there.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

This article applies to fleet users but it has raised some interesting points that you may wish to address if you are a consumer driving your first electric car and want to make sure that you are covered for all eventualities. I’ve underlined those items that need special attention when taking out your insurance. Also, training may be useful in order to maximise the benefits of having an EV.

Allianz Insurance has enhanced its Motor Fleet (15 or more vehicles) and Small Fleet (4-14 vehicles) products to provide cover for electric vehicles as well as a wide range of services to support fleet electrification.

The specialist EV cover includes third-party liability during charging, as well as damage cover for cables, connectors and electric wallboxes located at the insured’s premises or an employee’s home.

Allianz has also future-proofed its wording and clarified some existing cover and limits in regard to vehicle automation and connectivity.

Gerry Ross, head of commercial motor, Allianz Insurance said: “These are really exciting times for us as we continuously challenge ourselves to bring the latest solutions to our customers. We constantly review our motor proposition to ensure we remain at the forefront of the market, meeting and anticipating broker and customer needs.

“The inclusion of EV cover reflects the evolving priorities of our customers and the option to use green parts demonstrates our commitment to sustainability. Our expert underwriters, local branch network and excellent claims teams are committed to delivering a comprehensive offering that reflects the challenges and opportunities modern fleets are facing.”

The new proposition is supported by Allianz’s risk management partners DriveTech and Lightfoot. DriveTech provides driver training, including an appreciation of regenerative braking, charging and EV safety. Lightfoot, meanwhile, uses connected technology to deliver real-time driver coaching, with a smartphone app offering drivers rewards and prizes.

This can help to reduce fuel consumption and improve the battery range of electric vehicles, while also reducing CO2 emissions. Both partners also provide risk management services that are valuable to drivers and fleet managers alike.

As part of its sustainability commitments, Allianz will also look to use green parts wherever possible on non-safety critical items (with the insured’s permission) when repairing fleet vehicles. With more fleet customers receptive to choosing environmentally sustainable solutions, green parts can make a positive and practical environmental impact.

Recognising that many commercial motor customers will want to continue to support people in their local communities, cover that was provided for volunteering during lockdown will continue, either for the NHS or the distribution of food aid from a recognised Trust or Independent Food Aid Network (IFAN) charity. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News