Institute of Transport Administration

France one way, Spain another: hauliers face border rule chaos

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

The EU’s troubled Entry/Exit System (EES) has created a regulatory patchwork for UK hauliers, with nine Schengen countries given the green light to delay full biometric border checks beyond the deadline, which expired on 6 September.

France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Malta, Portugal and Switzerland are understood to have agreed with the European Commission that they will not fully enforce the new biometric checks until the technology and systems are working correctly.

The EES is the EU’s digital border-management system for recording the movements of non-EU nationals began a phased rollout on 12 October 2025 across 29 European countries

The system replaces the manual stamping of passports with an electronic and biometric record of entries, exits and refusals of entry and is designed to strengthen external border security, identify overstayers and reduce identity and document fraud.

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The Government has confirmed plans to remove a major planning barrier to cross-pavement charging for electric vehicle (EV) drivers without a driveway.

Responding to a The change will create a new permitted development right for cross-pavement charging.

Further information: IAM RoadSmart has launched a professional accreditation programme to help organisations understand and improve how they manage the risks associated with driving for work.

Built on recognised industry best practice and aligned with the latest Organisations can achieve Bronze, Silver or Gold status.

Visit the

Local bus service performance standards: consultation

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:45:00 +0000

The Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain, Kevin Rooney, has today launched a consultation to review how traffic commissioners assess the performance of local bus services, including punctuality, reliability and wider regulatory expectations.

The consultation seeks views from operators, local authorities, passenger groups and other stakeholders on whether current standards remain fit for purpose and how they should evolve to reflect changes in the industry, legislation and technology.

The consultation also examines how emerging technology, such as real-time passenger information, and evolving operating environments should influence regulatory expectations and broader input to help shape future guidance.

*Consultation ends 11 December 2026

Further information for consultation:

Transport for London moves step closer to bringing London buses into public ownership

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Officials are set to start engaging bus operators later this month to discuss the feasibility of bringing currently franchised services in house, according to sources familiar with the talks.

The proposals were first laid out earlier this year in TfL's business plan.

TfL is still able to set routes and control fare levels and fulfil a manifesto promise made by the Mayor of London in 2024.

As anticipation builds for what is expected to be one of the year’s most memorable exhibitions, opening on 10 September, attention is also turning to the specialist logistics operation that brought the Bayeux Tapestry safely to the British Museum.

Ben Fletcher, Chief Executive of business group Logistics UK, said the move demonstrates the expertise required to transport an artefact of such age, scale and cultural significance.

“Viewing the Bayeux Tapestry is set to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the tens of thousands getting ready to visit,” Mr Fletcher said.

Transporting the tapestry presented a significant challenge.

The movement of the Bayeux Tapestry relied on both road and rail systems as it travelled from France to England via LeShuttle, before completing the final stretch of its journey on the M20.
“LeShuttle is a 24-hour operation and critical for the delivery of goods between mainland Europe and Great Britain,” he said.

The successful transportation of the Bayeux Tapestry highlights the vital role of specialist logistics in preserving historic objects during complex and sensitive movements.

Crackdown on illegal number plates with new government funded roads policing team

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

New roads policing centre helping to track down offenders faster and disrupt organised crime groups that rely on England's road network, cracking down on illegal number plates will target drivers who dodge fines and organised crime gangs as the Department for Transport (DfT) funds a new roads policing team.

The National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC) will bring together police forces from around England to share intelligence, improve collaboration and make better use of data.

This includes trialling new technology, for example, specialised goggles that can detect number plates where criminals have tried to make them unreadable by cameras.

Illegal number plates can come in many forms, including:

Drivers using an incorrectly displayed number plate can be fined up to £1,000.

Evidence of compliance avoids revocation!

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

A Birmingham company, Cambabest, that operated more vehicles than authorised and were not in a serviceable condition has had its licence cut permanently.

TC Mark Dorrington said Cambabest’s fitness to hold a licence was marked as severely tarnished and “hanging by the finest of threads”, but he stepped back from revocation because there was evidence the operator had turned a corner in relation to compliance.

A fleet inspection of the company’s vehicles by a DVSA examiner resulted in two immediate and one delayed prohibition being issued and the examiner also noted that Cambabest was operating an eighth truck not specified on its restricted licence authorising seven.

A follow-up maintenance investigation found more immediate and delayed prohibitions, no meaningful brake tests being undertaken and PMI inspection intervals stretched by up to 24 days.

From 12 MOT tests, Cambabest had an initial fail rate of 41.

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Institute Fellowship Award to long served member

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:57:05 +0000

Member, Mike Schmidt received an unexpected visit from IoTA President, Ray Rowsell on Saturday 22^nd August.

Mike has been a stalwart member of the institute since joining in 1997 when he brought with him, and shared, both maritime and road transport knowledge, having worked for Associated British Ports and Hampshire County Council in transport roles.

He served on the Solent Centre Committee for many years as Programme Secretary, a role which played a significant part in enabling the Centre to continue providing members and colleagues access to monthly presentations or site visits for so long.

Ray presented Mike with his framed Fellowship Certificate and thanked him for his ongoing support of the Institute and wished him well for the future.

Institute's 16th President Installed at AGM

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:52:00 +0000

At the Annual General meeting, held recently at headquarters in Sandy, Ray Rowsell FinstTA was installed as the Institute’s 16^th President.

Ray joined the institute in 1965 and took part in its first education programme that, after 3 year’s evening studies led to examinations, successful completion of which resulted in Associate Membership.

During his 60 year membership he has held many offices both at centre and national level and he was awarded a Fellowship in 2006

Ray started work as an accounts clerk at Brickwoods Brewery in Portsmouth.

Since then he has continued to play an active role in Institute affairs serving time as National Treasurer, Trustee and, most recently, Deputy President.

DVSA Annual Report 2025/26

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) annual report and accounts of activity and services for 2025 to 2026.

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Repute retained but remains severely tarnished

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

The deputy traffic commissioner for the South East, DTC John Baker, has accepted that a failure by an operator to include a director on its licence application was a simple error and not an attempt to hide his involvement in the business.

The operator appeared at an Eastbourne public inquiry after it became apparent Gary Newman was a director at the company despite his name not being added to licence documents.

Documentation produced for the public inquiry appeared to be more acceptable and compliance levels maintained.

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Regulatory decisions made about the conduct of professional drivers

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Decisions made by Traffic Commissioners on hearings around Large Goods Vehicle and Passenger Carrying Vehicle driving entitlement.

The regulatory decisions include:

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Consignor’s responsibility does not end at the depot gate

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

A lorry fire on the M4 involving a trailer laden with around 12 tonnes of hay earlier this month has prompted a software firm to remind operators and drivers about how safety critical information passes between consignors, loaders and transport managers.

Although the cause of the fire had yet to be established, the incident prompted a useful question for haulage operators: when a vehicle leaves a farm, supplier, warehouse or depot, does the driver receive the full operational picture behind the load?

DVSA guidance makes clear that safely loading, securing, transporting and unloading goods involves the consignor, operator and driver.

Likewise, the operator must provide a suitable vehicle and equipment and the driver should complete all of the appropriate checks and raise concerns when a load appears unsafe.

Evalu-8 head of marketing said: “Transport operations often involve one business preparing the load, another providing the vehicle and a driver who was not present for every loading decision.

“The handover should confirm what has been loaded, how it was prepared, which checks were completed and what the driver should do if conditions change.

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Serious breakdown’ in driver management results in authorisation halved

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Kingpin Recycling, a tyre recycling firm, appeared before Dr Paul Stookes at a Birmingham public inquiry after a roadside encounter with the DVSA.

A subsequent investigation identified 28 occasions where vehicles were driven without a driver card inserted, covering a total of 3,323 kilometres.

Interviews with drivers revealed varying levels of understanding of drivers’ hours requirements and some admitted that driver cards had been removed to avoid recording excessive duty time.

The DVSA concluded there had been a serious breakdown in record-keeping, driver management and operational control.

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Car and motorcycle licence holders can now notify DVLA of a wider range of medical conditions online, saving up to 10 days for a decision compared with paper applications.

Drivers can now

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the service guides customers through every step of the process and allows them to track the progress of their application online, giving greater visibility and convenience.

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The overarching importance of coach operators that carry out international work monitoring drivers’ personal time within the Schengen area to avoid fouling the 90-in-180 day limit for third-country nationals has been highlighted by research into road transport between Great Britain and Schengen under the EU Entry/Exit System.

EES, which is in the process of full rollout, allows easier identification of ‘overstayers’.

Although research was carried out in late-2025, a report on the findings was published on 30 July.

That meant practical exposure to EES was limited, although extensive media coverage is noted.

Nevertheless, “operators reported that they have not generally adapted recruitment or route allocation around nationality or 90/180 exposure.

Acknowledged is that many British operators travelling into Schengen do so infrequently, meaning that drivers are unlikely to breach the 90/180 limit.

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Home to School Exemptions reopened

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 10:31:33 +0000

PSVAR medium-term exemption applications for closed-door home-to-school coaches will reopen from 25 August to 8 September

An HGV driver found more than six times over the drink-drive limit was banned after members of the public reported his erratic driving on the A14.

Police stopped Darek Smagiel’s Iveco at Fenstanton on 13 July and found whisky bottles in the cab.

He later pleaded guilty to drink driving and dangerous driving, receiving a suspended 12-month prison sentence and a three-year driving ban.

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Dashcam footage from an HGV helped convict seven men over the illegal dumping of hundreds of tonnes of waste at unlicensed sites.

Waste was deposited at sites in Hampshire and near Peterborough, with machinery used to bury some of it.

The footage showed key activity and helped identify those involved.

The men received community orders, fines and costs.

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