BIFAlink
Policy & Compliance
www.bifa.org
More bureaucracy facing UK van drivers travelling to and from the EU
vehicle in the fleet and an extra £800 is required for each additional van or trailer. Regarding personnel, van operators will have to appoint a transport manager who will be legally responsible for all the vehicles on the goods vehicle operator licence, and to ensure the driver follows industry regulations. The transport manager will either have to demonstrate that he or she has run fleets for ten years or has completed a course to qualify for a transport manager qualification. Extra costs It costs £257 to apply for a goods vehicle operator licence and, if the application is successful, a further £401 will have to be paid for the licence. A continuation fee (currently £401) will need to be paid every five years to keep the licence active. More detailed information regarding the application process, the transport manager’s qualifications, and documents that the driver will have to carry are included in the link provided in the second paragraph. If there are any additional questions, the DVSA or Traffic Commissioners should be contacted for clarification.
Drivers of vans and light commercial vehicles will soon need a special licence to transport goods in the EU and some surrounding countries
From 21 May 2022, UK van drivers will be required to obtain a new international goods operating licence in order to travel to and from the EU. According to the GOV.UK website www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-goods-in-and- out-of-the-uk-using-vans-or-car-and-trailers-fro m-21-may-2022, anyone driving a van, a light commercial vehicle or any car towing a trailer will need a standard international goods vehicle operator licence to transport goods in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. From a commercial viewpoint, the new rules will apply to users of vans with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) over 2.5 tonnes and up to 3.5 tonnes. Also, it applies to vans and cars towing a trailer with a gross train weight (GTW) over 2.5 tonnes up to and including 3.5 tonnes. A goods vehicle operator licence will not be required if vehicles are
used solely in the UK, or goods are transported on a non-commercial basis. If Members already hold a goods vehicle operator licence, details of vans and trailers used in transporting goods to/from the previously mentioned countries/territories will have to be added to the licence. Financial reserves Whilst this may seem a relatively minor change, for those currently without a standard international goods vehicle operator licence, the changes are greater, and perhaps more onerous, than they may first appear. By law, the van operator will have to prove that he or she has a set amount of finance to run their business (‘financial standing’). The amount varies dependent on the number and type of vehicles operated – £8,000 must be available for the first
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February 2022
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