Millions of drivers and fleets are set to save more time and money thanks to the Government’s commitment to cutting unnecessary rules and regulations.

Pledging to make further cuts to needless bureaucracy, roads minister Stephen Hammond announced two additional initiatives for professional drivers and freight operators and said changes in the coming year would help even more motorists.

Hammond said: “Taxpayers have a right to expect Government services to be convenient and uncomplicated. The work we have carried out to remove unnecessary paperwork has reaped real benefits for motorists and businesses.

“Some of these changes might seem very straightforward but they are helping to make life easier for millions of people. Our work will not stop there and we will continue to look for ways of slashing unnecessary bureaucracy across the transport network and ensuring Government services are customer-friendly.”

In the coming financial year the introduction of new measures will save motorists and businesses an estimated £54m.

  • 36m vehicles will no longer need a paper tax disc, saving business and taxpayers around £14m each year
  • 33m drivers will no longer need a paper counterpart to their driving licence, saving them an estimated £8m each year
  • More than 17m changes to address and vehicle details will be possible online
  • 6m people will not need to return an insurance certificate if a policy is cancelled mid-term, saving business £29m each year
  • 2m fleet vehicles will no longer need a paper registration certificate, saving companies around £3m each year

Two additional changes have also been announced today. A user-friendly guide for professional drivers will be developed to increase clarity and understanding on drivers’ hours and working time rules, particularly about when a driver needs to take a break.

In addition the frequency with which digital drivers’ hours records must be downloaded from tachographs will be relaxed, a change which benefits drivers on long international tours.

Changes made to transport rules through the Red Tape Challenge are already saving business over £70m a year and saving private motorists over £100m a year and include:

  • 1.2m vehicle owners no longer need to renew their Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), saving them £6m a year
  • 160,000 customers do not need to MOT their historic vehicle, saving them £7m a year
  • 600,000 more people can tax their vehicle online
  • 76,000 mechanics and valets have been exempted from additional driver training, saving business £24m a year
  • New rules, saving road users over £100m per year in reduced congestion, incentivise quicker and less disruptive road works

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