Government puts road transport regulations in spotlight for 'Red Tape Challenge'
The government has turned its attention to road transport regulations for the latest stage of its so-called Red Tape Challenge, with ministers vowing that “life is about to get easier for road users, businesses, and local authorities”.
More than 400 Whitehall road transport regulations have been placed on the Challenge’s website for four weeks. The review has been divided into eight areas:
- Buses & taxis
- Licensing, Registration and Insurance
- Freight
- Highways
- Parking
- Road Safety and Cycling
- Transport workers and organisations
- Vehicle Safety and Standards
The Department for Transport said rules specifying the procedure that councils must go through when installing speed humps were a “prime candidate” for being scrapped. These set out the minimum and maximum heights of humps and the minimum number of lights that must be installed nearby.
The DfT also predicted the removal of the requirement for motorists to have a paper or electronically issued Motor Insurance certificate, and rules specifying that bus companies have to wait 48 hours before they can throw away perishable items that have been left on the bus.
The review is also intended to target “arcane and obsolete” regulations such as those in force dating back to the 2007 foot and mouth crisis allowing tanker drivers to work longer hours, and ones allowing road closures for the 1994 Tour de France.
Roads Minister Mike Penning said: “We are calling on everyone: consumers, businesses and volunteer groups to get involved and help reduce the number of badly thought out and obsolete regulations in our country.
“By getting government off people’s backs we can free businesses to compete, create jobs and unleash a private sector-led recovery. We will also give people the opportunity to play a greater role in their community and build a stronger society.”
The review of road transport regulations is among the first five themes of the government’s campaign. The first was retail while the others are: hospitality, food and drink; equalities; and health and safety.
The government said the presumption for the various Red Tape Challenges is that regulations will go, unless it can be justified why a regulation should be kept.
There are six cross-cutting themes that are also open throughout the whole of the campaign: employment law; pensions; company law; equalities; health and safety; and environment legislation.
