Weekly News Roundup 31st Jan – 4th Feb
Welsh Senedd Tackle Driver Shortage
The Welsh Senedd has put forward their suggested plans to tackle driver shortages. Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee of the Welsh Senedd has published its recommendations on how to overcome the HGV driver shortage. This advice follows consultation with key industry representatives.
The recommendations included:
- Developing HGV driver apprenticeship programs
- Making more training providers available
- Developing regional and national freight strategies
- Improvement of rest facilities
Comment
Chris Yarsley, Logistics UK’s Policy Manager for Wales said:
“It is vital that the Welsh Government moves swiftly to enact these measures, and works closely with industry throughout the process to ensure the best possible outcome to support Wales’s logistics sector and wider economy.”
Train to Reduce Agricultural Driving Deaths
TTC Group is urging companies employing rural drivers to increase driver training in an effort to reduce death rates. Over the last 5 years, 30% of all agricultural deaths in the UK involved a vehicle. The TTC Group suggests bringing in extended training schemes could save an estimated 30 lives a year.
Comment
Andy Wheeler, the training designer at TTC, said:
“A simple but effective first step for many businesses involved in agriculture […] is to ensure that all drivers are fully trained in the best practice of off-road and rural driving.”
The proposed courses by the TTC Group would instruct drivers on safer driving techniques on the public highway and in off-road environments.
Tesla Network Expands
Tesla has announced the further expansion of its international charging network. According to the Tesla site map on their website, electric vehicle (EV) drivers now have access to the Tesla Superchargers in France, the Netherlands, and Norway.
Comment
A statement on their website read
“More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion. Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and Non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.”
Dirty Driving Tests Failures
Examiners at DVSA test centers have come under fire for failing learners because their cars were “too dirty”. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has implemented hygiene standards to stop the spread of COVID. But some test centers have taken this to the extreme, holding learner drivers to unrealistic standards. This has led to some learners failing their tests when instructors refuse to get in the vehicles. In one case, a driving instructor had his request for a second opinion denied. With the current backlog, learners expect a 4 to 5-month wait for a test. But overly picky examiners are adding to the pressure of this already tense issue.
Comment
A spokesperson for the DVSA said
“Guidance has been issued that cars used on driving tests must be cleaned before the test to lessen the chance of infection. Driving tests will not go ahead if this has not been followed to ensure public safety.”
Big Brands Introduce the EVzero Initiative
A group of household brands has come together to announce the launch of the EVzero initiative. Organizations such as Tesco and Natwest have teamed up with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and The Environment Agency to collaborate on the new initiative. This will see companies increase the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in their fleet. It will also aim to improve the nationwide charging infrastructure and encourage more people to convert to EVs.
Comment
Jacqueline Carrington-Fallow, Design Manager at NatWest Group commented:
“We are pleased to be working with like-minded organizations to address shared problems and come up with solutions that will help to accelerate the decarbonization and electrification of our fleet vehicles.”
Weekly News Roundup 31st Jan – 4th Feb
