Month: August 2022

Bradford – Clean Air Zone Implementation

Next month sees the introduction of the Bradford Clean Air Zone (CAZ) covering the area inside, and including, the Bradford outer ring road. It will also extend out along the Aire valley corridor, (Manningham Lane/Bradford Road and Canal Road area) to include Shipley and Saltaire.

Starting on Monday 26 September the CAZ will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bus and Coach vehicles will need to meet Euro VI standards, or pay a £50 daily charge.

There are some exemptions. Buses and Coaches used to transport students to and from school will only need to meet Euro IV standards (including any vehicle fitted with a particulate trap). Vehicles operated by Community Transport providers, charities and a local business (SME) also only need to meet Euro IV, so long as you apply for an exemption and there may be some limitations on the number of vehicles that would qualify.

Further information can be found here https://bit.ly/3whxX5d

Parking in and around Victoria Coach Station

Additional on-street parking has opened up on Park Lane and TfL is again reminding coach operators not to park illegally at Victoria Coach Station.

Short, mid and long-term parking is available –

off-street and pre-booked:

  • Bayswater Coach Park (near Notting Hill Gate)
  • New Covent Garden Market (email [email protected])
  • Green Line (call 07831 658 479)

On-street options:

  • Millbank
  • Albert Embankment
  • Victoria Embankment.
  • Park Lane
    • Curzon Gate to Stanhope Gate – maximum stay one hour
    • Stanhope Gate to Grosvenor Gate – maximum stay two hours

    In total Park Lane now has 25 spaces available for use with at least one hour parking permitted.

For more details of the on-street parking conditions please see the full document.

Please be aware of the parking restrictions in and around Victoria Coach Station, which include –

Coaches must not:

  • Use coach stops 6-10 on Buckingham Palace Road southbound unless authorised by Green Line
  • Use coach stops and stands on the nearside of Bullied Way unless authorised by Green Line
  • Use coach stops and stands on the offside of Bullied Way between 08.00 and 20.00 unless authorised by Green Line (outside these times pay by phone parking is available)
  • Park on Semley Place
  • Park or drive along St George’s Place except for access

For more details of the parking restrictions and penalties, and more importantly, the alternative parking options please see the full document.

TfL stress that coaches are most welcome in London; however, because of the nature of the road network and the demands on kerbside space, some element of pre-planning before you bring a coach into London is essential. Visit the TfL website pages especially designed for coach drivers at https://bit.ly/3clllD8.

 

Sheffield – Clean Air Zone Implementation

Sheffield – Clean Air Zone Implementation

Work on implementing the Clean Air Zone for Sheffield is underway despite the final date and some other details still to be confirmed. Installation of signs and enforcement cameras has started and this work will continue over the rest of the summer period.

The Clean Air Zone, which will cover the inner ring road and city centre, is due to be implemented in Spring 2023. It will impact Bus and Coach vehicles which will need to meet Euro VI standards, or pay a £50 daily charge, and minibuses / coaches which must also meet Euro VI requirements (or Euro IV if they have a petrol engine) or pay a £10 daily charge. A map of the area covered can be found here https://bit.ly/3w4iCor. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will detect non-compliant vehicles entering the zone.

As well as confirmation on the exact date of implementation, details on the financial support available to those affected and how to apply has not yet been announced. Sheffield City Council have said that information will be made available in the coming months.

The scheme excludes all private cars, motorbikes and mopeds. The City Council claim that these make up 80% of road traffic but only create 50% of the pollution.

More information on the scheme can be found here https://bit.ly/3PraKEa.

 

Tachograph Violations

Detecting tachograph violations is getting easier.

The DVSA are trialling remote tachograph sensing equipment to make it easier to detect drivers and operators who are breaking drivers’ hours rules, which has the potential to be dangerous to road users.

Most operators do follow the rules, but the DVSA are still finding offences at the roadside.

They are exploring this new technology to help keep Britain’s roads safe. It will mean they can identify many kinds of tachograph violations when travelling alongside vehicles, or from the roadside.

If you are a driver, make sure you:

  • understand your responsibilities as a driver
  • check your tachograph is working properly before you set off
  • take adequate rest
  • correctly record your driving time and rest on your tachograph

If you are a HGV, PSV or LGV operator who has to follow drivers’ hours rules, make sure you:

  • understand your responsibilities as an operator
  • maintain tachograph equipment
  • know how to adequately schedule driver’s activities
  • regularly check your driver’s compliance
  • listen and respond to any drivers’ hours concerns raised by your drivers

If you commit a tachograph violation, it’s now easier for the DVSA to find you!

Legal update to workers’ holiday entitlement

After a landmark legal case, it’s no longer just full-year workers who need 5.6 weeks’ annual holiday. You need to provide this for all staff, even if they don’t work for you every week of the year.

If this ruling affects your workers, you need to change way you calculate holiday pay and leave… or risk illegally underpaying your staff.

So, are your workers affected by this HR update? And if they are, what steps should you be taking to avoid risk?

Get all the answers in your FREE on-demand seminar.

After you watch the session, experts from Peninsula Group will offer you an updated HR policy – so you can prevent legal fallout.

Travel by Coach to Imberbus

UKCOA member Readybus has stepped into the breach as a planned rail strike threatens to hinder the many visitors to Imber on the annual Imberbus running day on Saturday 20 August.

Operating since 2009, Imberbus has grown from just five Routemaster buses running from Warminster to Imber, to an annual event linking other villages including Market Lavington, Tilshead and Chitterne; attracting 28 vehicles, around 4,000 visitors and, in 2019, raising more than £30,000 for the Friends of St Giles’s church, Imber, the Royal British Legion and Macmillan Cancer Support.

This year the day now coincides with a planned rail strike. However, a call for assistance by the organisers of Imberbus has seen Readybus provide a day excursion from Hammersmith in West London.

Matt Clayton, Director of Readybus said. “We are delighted to be able to assist at this year’s Imberbus event. With something for everyone, whether you are interested in buses and coaches, history or spectacular views you can be sure of a great day out. We will have plenty of space for everyone and will put on duplicate vehicles if necessary”.

Michael Meilton, one of the organisers of Imberbus continued “We want as many people as possible to come and enjoy all that Imberbus has to offer. We are grateful to Readybus and the UKCOA for coming to our assistance and providing a direct link to the event from west London, and encourage everyone to come and join us on 20 August”.

Readybus’s excursion will depart Hammersmith (Hammersmith Bridge Road) at 08:30 with the return departure from Warminster at 17:30. Tickets are priced at £30 a seat, which includes an all-day Imberbus ticket. For tickets please book with Readybus. For more details about Imberbus and the history of this fascinating day out click here Imberbus.