The new year is bringing in the emergence of new UK transportation laws that may affect some drivers more than others. The new rules are fairly diverse, as they pertain to the usage of electric vehicles, parking spaces, the use of specific number plates, and so on. This article provides an overview of these new laws that are applicable to all and specific parts of the United Kingdom. As a general driver in the UK, you can determine if any of the new laws are relevant to you or not. With that said, let’s look at the new laws.
Electric Vehicles Owners Will Not Be Required to Pay Any Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Until April 202
The UK government is certainly attempting to help encourage users to consider buying and using electric vehicles (EVs) over internal combustion engine vehicles. One of the ways it is attempting to accomplish that is by allowing the owners of electric vehicles who registered their vehicle from any time after 1 April 2017 to not be required to pay any vehicle excise duty (VED) until April 2025. What this means is that EV owners won’t have to pay the minimum VED of £165 that petrol and diesel car owners must pay up until the date mentioned above. That said, it’s important to note that EV owners must pay the additional £355 amount for owning electric cars valued above £40,000 at the time of purchase after April 2025.
August 2023 Will Mark the End of the Suspension of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Levy Payments
Owners of heavy goods vehicles that have an overall mass of more than 12 tonnes will be required to pay levy costs after August 2023 for the roads’ wear and tear caused by the usage of such heavy vehicles.
The UK government suspended this form of payment for owners and/or users of HGVs registered in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic in an attempt to reduce the operational costs and the problems of driver shortages for haulage companies.
A Potential Ban on Parking on Pavements in Scotland in 2023
One of the few new UK transportation laws that are not confirmed yet includes a ban on parking on pavements in Scotland. The purpose of this ban is to help make the roads of Scotland more accessible to pedestrians. However, while it is speculated that the law may be implemented in December 2023, it’s still unsure.
The UK Is Introducing ‘23’ and ‘73’ Number Plates
It is customary for the United Kingdom to get new sets of number plates in March and September. Thus, new cars registered after March 2023 can get ‘23’ registration plates, and those registered after September can get ‘73’ registration plates.
Final Thoughts
If you want to know more about these new UK transportation laws and others that can affect your livelihood, then make sure to contact your transportation solicitor.
