June’s Updates to the Driving Laws that you Might have Missed
Newly implemented driving regulations are being warned to drivers, as they may have a significant effect on them and result in thousands of drivers being subject to costly daily fines.
With the introduction of three new Low Emission Zones in June and another at the end of May, drivers in Scotland experienced a significant month as petrol and diesel users could now face fees to drive in their own cities.
Zones with Low Emissions
This month, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow established new charging zones and implemented fees for older, more environmentally harmful petrol and diesel vehicles.
Drivers will be fined if their vehicles—Euro 4 petrol, which is typically registered from 2006 onward; Euro 6 diesel, which is registered from September 2015 onward; and Euro VI buses, coaches and HGVs, which is registered from January 2013 ahead—do not comply with the emissions regulations.
Any vehicle entering a local economic zone (LEZ) in Scotland that is not in compliance may be fined a substantial £60.
The maximum penalties for cars and LGVs is £480; for minibuses, buses, coaches, and HGVs, it is £980. The fine rate doubles for each additional infraction.
Additionally, Dundee operates a low-emission zone (LEZ), which went into effect in May 2022 and gives locals two years to switch to cleaner cars. Data has already demonstrated that more people in the four LEZ schemes are showing interest in scrappage programmes, indicating a growing trend in the desire to convert to electric vehicles.
To encourage the discarding of a non-LEZ compliant vehicle, households can apply for a £2,000 reward, while micro-businesses can receive a £2,500 grant.
New regulations for parking
The Private Parking Sector Single Code of Practice was released at the end of the month by the International Parking Community (IPC) and the British Parking Association (BPA).
It sought to “deliver greater transparency and consistency for the benefit of motorists” by outlining basic guidelines for owners of private parking lots. Drivers will benefit from an Appeals Charter, a 10-minute grace period before fines, and a ceiling on parking fees of £100, which will drop to £60 if paid within two weeks as part of the new Code.
Without lessening the deterrent effect of Blue Badge bay abuse, the Code also seeks to safeguard the most vulnerable members of society.
Some experts are not as impressed, even if it would provide drivers with various new concessions to safeguard them against too aggressive parking lot operators.
“It’s a little ironic that after pushing so hard against adopting one, the two bodies have decided to implement their own,” stated Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA. The criteria that The AA, the government, and consumer groups have long demanded are considerably below this watered-down ‘code of practice’.
General election manifesto pledges
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Transport Secretary Mark Harper have made several promises to outlaw pay-per-mile road pricing, exclude 20 mph zones, and otherwise position the Conservatives as the party of the people.
Additionally, the Conservatives have promised to undo Mayor Sadiq Khan’s “unfair” extension of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. The following is stated in the manifesto: “Thousands of people who live in the London area and who were not involved in his election are now unable to pay for transport to work or school or to hospital appointments.”
However, Labour, who top most polls by about 20%, is pressing through with proposals to bring back the original 2030 timetable for the sales ban on petrol and diesel vehicles while increasing the number of EV chargers, permitting more LTNs and enforcing 20 mph speed limits.
Regarding fuel duty in the event of a Labour government, Keir Starmer told GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope, “It’s a budget-by-budget issue, but I would say to anyone with concerns on this to check our track record.” Our stance has always been to freeze fuel duty. That’s our extensive history, and we have a reason for doing it.
The Liberal Democrats have also pledged to address high fuel and auto insurance costs, bring back the 2030 date for the end of sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles, and increase the number of EV charges to ensure drivers remain safe on the roads.
An upswing Restructure An insider close to the party told GB News that the UK, under Nigel Farage’s leadership, is defying the trends of many other political parties. Reform was affirmed to eliminate any sales prohibition on petrol and diesel vehicles, drastically reduce fuel duty by 20p per gallon, and prohibit local governments from enacting emissions-based charge zones.
On the other end of the political spectrum, the Green Party promised in its manifesto to supervise the cessation of new petrol and diesel car sales by 2027 and the removal of petrol and diesel vehicles from the road by 2035. A massive scrappage programme to encourage more British drivers to convert to electric cars would help with this, as would the quick growth of electric car sales.