Author Archives: Kerry Smith

DVLA to extend photocard licences.

    • Drivers with photocard licences due to expire between 1 February and 31 August 2020 have been granted an extension
    • Licences are automatically extended by seven months from the date of expiry 
    • Impacted motorists will be sent reminders ahead of their new renewal date
    • It only applies to photocard renewals that expire after 10 years
    • If a driver’s entitlement to drive is due to expire or they have lost or had their licence stolen, they will need to apply for new ones online.

Drivers with a pink plastic photocard driving licence that’s due to expire will be granted a seven-month extension, the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency has confirmed today.

Those with photocards expiring between 1 February 2020 and 31 August 2020 will automatically have their licence renewals extended from the date of expiry and can now carry on driving safe in the knowledge they’re still legal.  The move comes as the government agency has been struggling to process requests during the pandemic, stating on its website: ‘It’s taking longer than usual to process driving licence applications because of coronavirus.’

Normally drivers are required to renew their photocard licence every 10 years, and bus and lorry drivers every five years. However, lockdown has slowed the DVLA’s capacity to process applications from motorists as – like many businesses – its workforce is mainly operating remotely from home.

It had previous warned drivers in April that those using its services should expect ‘significant delays’ during the coronavirus crisis.

The extension has been granted thanks to new EU regulation which means photocards that expire between 1 February and 31 August 2020 will be automatically extended for a further seven months from the date of expiry. To ensure motorists don’t forget, they will be sent a reminder to renew before their seven month extension ends.

The extension only applies to photocard renewals after 10 years when a new photo of the driver is required – with renewals costing £14 online, £17 by post or £21 at the Post Office (or free if you’re over 70 years old).  The DVLA’s online services to renew a driving licence entitlement or replace lost or stolen photocards will continue to operate as normal, it has confirmed.

This will also be the case for learners who could soon pass their driving test and be eligible for a full licence after tests were cancelled for three months from 20 March due to the virus.

However, with tests – in theory – able to restart on 20 June, driving instructors have said there has been no clear guidance or instruction about when they can return to work safely.

Julie Lennard, chief executive at the agency, said: ‘This extension will make it easier for drivers who need to update their photocard licence with a new photograph.

‘This means as long as they have a valid licence, drivers will be able to continue to make essential journeys.’The extension is automatic so drivers do not need to do anything and will be sent a reminder to renew their photocard before the extension ends.’

This change will be introduced from 4 June 2020.

This is Money has received emails from readers concerned that they have already applied for a licence renewal via post, having sent their expiring licence to the DVLA head office in Swansea though not had it returned.Failure to update a driving licence can result in a fine of £1,000 and up to six penalty points on a licence.

We asked a DLVA spokesman to clarify what this would mean for these individuals.

‘The seven month extension will apply whilst we process any paper applications,’ they said.

‘Providing their entitlement to drive is still valid, drivers with a seven-month extension period will not be committing an offence.’

Commenting on the extension, RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said: ‘Given the restrictions in place presently, a temporary extension to renewing a photocard licence due to expire seems like a sensible step which will have very few negative consequences and is likely to be welcomed by those drivers affected.’

The extension follows the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) decision to introduce an MOT test exemption for six months at the end of March to prevent motorists having to drive their cars during lockdown.

Penalised for using your phone to pay whilst engine running.

 

 

 

When will driving lessons start again?

Our instructors at Britannia Driving School recommend , to pass their driving test, the average learner requires 40 to 50 hours of teaching on the road. But with the recent changes to the UK’s lockdown guidelines, when can lessons start again?

No date has been given for when drivings lessons might be able to resume.

Under the government’s new guidelines, people in England have been instructed to go back to work if they cannot work from home and it is safe to do so.

However, in the case of driving instructors, it is not possible to maintain social distancing in the car with a learner. This means driving lessons should not be conducted during the lockdown, unless it’s for key workers. Driving tests have also been put on hold for up to three months as from March 2020, driving tests and theory tests were cancelled or moved to a later date,but emergency tests are available to those whose work is critical in the coronavirus response.

A statement from the National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP) read: “Any decision to return to on-road training needs to be carefully evaluated by each individual trainer (and training school) and all the risks considered and weighted accordingly.

“So far we have urged caution on this issue and recommended that training should be restricted to that of key workers with an essential need to acquire a new licence or develop their driving for the purposes of driving for work or for essential journeys to work locations. However we cannot make any decisions for you, NASP recommends this is done with your risk and discretion.

“What can do is offer advice and guidance on the risks associated with delivering training at this time, how to evaluate them and how to manage them. NASP will send out our updated guidelines in a few days, Nasp will be working together to deliver under gudance for the industry at large.

“However no one at this time should feel coerced into returning to training”

Driving instructors are among the professions to be hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown as many are self-employed.

Chris Bensted, who has been an instructor for 12 years, told Kent Live: “The interesting thing about driving instructors, even in big companies is that everyone is an individual instructor.

“This means that they are a group of individual instructors who are self-employed.

“About 40% of instructors aren’t getting help and are not eligible for Universal Credit.”

Councils to get power to fine drivers £130 for minor offences under government plans to give cyclists and pedestrians priority after coronavirus pandemic

  • Ministers have indicated that they are prepared to hand controversial powers to councils to enforce civil penalties for minor driving offences
  • Enforcing the rules is currently the job of the police but they rarely take formal action over so-called moving traffic violations
  • This could bring the whole of England into line with London where local transport officials already use traffic cameras to issue penalty notices

Motorists face the threat of new automatic £130 fines imposed by cash-hungry councils under Government plans to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians after the pandemic.

Ministers have signalled that they are prepared to give controversial powers to councils to enforce civil penalties for minor driving offences such as straying into cycle lanes or stopping in box junctions. Enforcing the rules is currently the job of the police but they rarely take formal action over so-called moving traffic violations.

But to help councils fund and operate new cycle lanes and other traffic-reduction measures after the pandemic, Ministers are preparing to hand over legal powers of enforcement to local government officials.

The change would bring the whole of England into line with London where local transport officials currently use traffic cameras to issue more than a million penalty notices every year.

Fines in the capital are set at £130 for each offence. The move would mark a retreat from the Government’s previous position when Ministers refused to hand councils such powers, fearing they would treat motorists as cash-cows.

Junior Transport Minister Baroness Vere told the House of Lords that the Government was looking at giving councils enforcement powers under the 2004 Traffic Management Act.

It comes as the coronavirus crisis prompts plans for a dramatic expansion of cycling and walking to reduce the use of public transport in towns and cities.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a £2billion package to fund new cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions, but cycling campaigners and council chiefs say tougher enforcement of traffic laws is also required.

Both groups have long lobbied Ministers to activate Section 6 of the Traffic Act, which covers relatively minor violations such as driving in cycle lanes, disregarding one-way systems or box junction markings, and failing to give priority to oncoming traffic.

Britannia’s office is reopening on the 8th June!

As of 9am Monday 8th June 2020 our office will be fully back to operating as pre lockdown, with the exception as of below. We are taking bookings for the week commencing Monday 22nd June.

At Britannia Driving School please be rest assured our instructors and pupils health and well being is paramount.

Thinking as to when instructors can return to everyday teaching we have been devising ways to keep you all safe.

This will include the instructors not giving lessons if they have any of the corona virus symptoms, instructors asking their pupils if they have been feeling unwell or in contact with any body who is unwell or showing symptoms.

Some instructors are thinking about having a digital thermometer to check themselves and pupils alike.

They will all be carrying hand sanitizer which each pupil will be asked to put on just before they enter the car, Before and after each pupil the car will be cleaned with antibacterial wipes, handles, steering wheel, mirror, gearstick, seatbelt etc.

Encouraging pupils to do intensives to minimize time and contact with the instructor. Not sharing a car with anyone else for the duration of the course.

Wear a face mask if needed or requested by the pupil

We are asking that the pupils wash their hands immediately prior to the lesson commencing.

When we return to the office we will still be social distancing so ask that if at all avoidable to contact us by telephone or email, we will be sanitizing everything in the office and the two meter rule will be in place, also only allowing one person at a time in the office.

We will of course be thinking of other ways we can all keep ourselves in the office, our instructors and of course our pupils.

 

Almost 750,000 drivers had motors MOT’d in April despite lockdown and six-month test exemption during pandemic, DVSA reveals

The Department for Transport announced on 25 March that all cars, vans and motorcycles which usually would require an MOT will be exempted from needing a test for six months from 30 March onwards. Drivers were told they would be held responsible for ensuring their vehicles remained roadworthy during the test extension, else face fines of £2,500 if caught at the wheel of an unsafe car post lockdown.

Only frontline workers reliant on their motors to get to and from work were told to continue having their vehicles tested during the strict restrictions to ensure their cars were safe to continue using on a daily basis.

The most MOTs were carried out in in the Birmingham area with 21,324 drivers taking their vehicles in for a test in April, and 18,170 assessments were carried out by garages in the Sheffield postcode area last month.

Perth in Central Scotland saw the biggest drop in MOTs last month, with tests down 86 per cent compared to March. Inverness saw 86 per cent fewer MOTs in April compared to the month previous.

Alex Buttle, director of Motorway.co.uk, said it was ‘surprising’ to see that three quarters of a million inspections had been carried out last month despite the government’s six-month MOT-test holiday

‘These figures from the DVSA show that despite motorists having the opportunity to postpone their MOT test, many have chosen not to do so, ‘ he explained.

‘Many garages are still open for MOTs, and anyone driving an older vehicle, which tend to be more susceptible to problems due to wear and tear, might be wise to take their car in close to the original MOT date to give it a full check and service.

‘It will give them the peace of mind that it’s in good condition and mechanically sound at the present time.

‘And if owners are looking to protect the value of their car for selling in the future, then a heavily-delayed MOT may be an issue for some buyers.’

 

Talking cars!

CARS could soon “talk” to each other to warn of dangers such as ice and potholes.

Sensors would scan for risks then use high-speed, low-delay 5G technology to share information across several  miles.

Traffic accidents, which account for more than 1.3million deaths and 50million injuries worldwide every year, would plummet as a result, experts predict.

Dr Dimitrios Liarokapis, of Glasgow Caledonian University, said: “Think of having Tesla-like cars that not only use sensors to scan what’s around them but can also talk to each other.

“I’m sure anyone who has had a bad experience on frozen roads would have benefited from knowing about the dangerous conditions in advance. “They could have adjusted speed or even avoided that route.”

The university’s smart connectivity team has spent years studying how mobile networks can work with vehicles.

Dr Liarokapis said 5G car warning tech could be available within years, and make automated vehicles much safer than today’s manual ones.

He added: “Cars will transmit warning messages to other cars around them using short-range communication technologies, but also to cars further away using 5G, fast and reliably.

“Those cars will send the same information to cars near them and so on, forming a multi-vehicle communication chain stretching far and wide.”

Congestion Charge hike

THE CONGESTION charge is to increase by 30% next month and will be extended to seven days a week – as Sadiq Khan struggles to fund London’s transport system.

But how much do you have to pay, and how soon do you have to pay it? Here are all the rules and regs, of the new costs…

The Congestion Zone charge in London is increasing by £4.50 per day – or by 30%.

From June 22, the charge has rise from £11.50 to £15 and the hours it will apply will be extended.

Can i restart my driving lessons now?

Driving tests were suspended in England, Scotland and Wales for three months from 20 March. So unless it was booked for a date after 20 June, the test will not take place as planned. A similar situation is in place in Northern Ireland.

A new date for anyone whose test is cancelled will be automatically sent out by the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA). You cannot book a new date for a driving test yourself.

You can still apply for an emergency driving test if you’re classed as a critical worker.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking a family member out for a driving lesson is still not allowed, as it is not counted as an essential journey.

The Department for Transport has indicated that this is also still the case In England, despite the recent lockdown changes. However, the AA says it’s not clear whether this would be the case if, for example, a driving lesson was given on the way to do essential shopping.

NASP advises that trainers should carefully evaluate the risks of on-road training at this time, and establish whether there is an essential need for such before taking on any new key worker pupil.

We remind trainers that they engage in in-vehicle training during this period entirely at their own discretion due to the risks involved.

The type of training NASP deems unessential, and should therefore be avoided includes:

  • Learner and novice training of any non-key worker
  • Learner and novice driver/rider training from scratch where the pupil is a key worker but does not have an essential need to drive at this time, ie they can use other modes of transport to commute and they are not required to drive for work. It is also unlikely that new learners would pass their test soon enough to be able to undertake a useful and safe driving role as a key worker at this time. It could also cause too much road risk to encourage novice drivers to rapidly gain a licence and undertake pressured occupational driving roles at this time
  • Training or driver/rider development of a driver or rider who is not a key worker
  • Training or driver development where the key worker (whether full licence holder, vocational licence holder etc) does not have an essential need to drive in their role (ie they are not driving for work or could commute using alternative forms of transport)

Training which would deem necessary :

  • Key workers who have a practical emergency test confirmed with DVSA
  • Key workers requiring new licences for essential front line roles, such as emergency response workers acquiring a first licence or needing licences in new categories
  • Key workers needing driver or rider development in order to safely and competently drive or ride in different/new vehicles which they are unused to in the same licence category, ie delivery drivers
  • Key workers needing driver or rider development to drive in a new, or increased, occupational context and whose driving risk may therefore be greater. This includes increased commuting to multiple work locations and increased driving/riding in contexts they are unused to such as motorway driving, driving after dark, rural roads, unfamiliar vehicles, UK familiarisation

Thousands targeted with scam insurance policies

ONLINE scammers are targeting thousands of Brits with fake insurance policies that offer cover at a heavily discounted rate. Motorists who take out the fake insurance could be left uncovered in an accident and potentially be hit with hefty fines.

Known as ghost brokers, these criminals offer drivers comprehensive policies at heavily discounted rates for a small fee. But instead of providing genuine cover, drivers are sent a fake certificate that doesn’t even exist

In other cases, a real policy is actually purchased, but some of their details are changed to lower the cost of insurance. In both situations, drivers will quickly realise their insurance is illegitimate when it comes time to make a claim.

Ghost brokers will also use another person’s details such as address, birth date and even name instead of the actual customer. These details can be accessed using the electoral register, while some scammers will buy data from other hackers.

Drivers are urged to do their research before committing to an insurance policy, no matter how cheap the cover is. Motorists should purchase their policy through an insurer’s direct website or a price comparison site.

Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK to help protect you and any other road users.

If you’re caught without insurance, you can be hit with a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence. In more extreme cases, you could be hit with an unlimited fine and disqualified from driving.

Jenny Ross, money editor at Which?, said: ‘Ghost-broking is an increasingly prevalent car insurance scam that can lead to serious consequences, including drivers being hit with fines, penalty points or even disqualification.

‘Fraudsters are using sophisticated tactics online to trick vulnerable customers into thinking that they’re buying a legitimate policy, when in fact it’s bogus.

‘Consumers should watch out for warning signs that the insurance may not be genuine, including suspiciously low prices, and always check that the provider is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.’