BTMA welcomes change to tyre labelling enforcement powers
The British Tyre Manufacturers’ Association has welcomed new legislation to enforce the tyre labelling regulation from 1 January using civil sanctions. The Department for Transport (DfT) appointed the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Compliance Unit as enforcement authority earlier in 2020, replacing the National Measurement Office. To date, the DfT has conducted 68 “mystery shopper” visits, finding 78 per cent of tyre retailers were not compliant with the requirement to provide the labelling information.
Continue ReadingNorthern Ireland car dealers facing steep price increase
Over the past weeks, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has written to HMRC and a number of MPs to highlight that under post-Brexit EU VAT rules, the sale price of a significant proportion of used vehicles in Northern Ireland (NI) will be subject to a 20 per cent increase for stock purchased in Great Britain (GB). NFDA has urged HMRC to resolve the issue before the end of the year to avoid a major impact on NI and GB vehicle dealers as well as consumers.
Continue ReadingPRA slams government road pricing proposal
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) has reacted with a mixture of horror and dismay to the suggestion that road pricing could be introduced to cover the loss of revenue from fuel taxation when petrol and diesel cars are phased out. PRA chairman Brian Madderson said: “We are deeply concerned about the government’s potential road pricing proposals. It is unfathomable that the government would introduce a measure that would only succeed in discriminating against the poorest in society.
Continue ReadingNokian Tyres’ former board face insider trading charges
Nokian Tyres 2015-2016 board members are facing insider trading charges and the company faces a fine of up to 850,000 euros. At least thats what the public prosecutor in Finland is demanding.
Continue Reading10 year old tyre ban enters law
On 26 October 2020, The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 statutory instrument was made. Three days later it was laid before Parliament. It comes into force on 1 February 2021. As a result, 10 year-old and older commercial vehicle tyres will be illegal in the UK from the 1 February 2021. And therefore, the Tyred campaign to ban old and dangerous tyres led by Frances Molloy has achieved a key goal.
Continue ReadingHow to view the Tyre Industry Conference
Our virtual Tyre Industry Conference, in association with the National Tyre Distributors Association and supported by CAM, is available now. Click here to go to our conference page. The conference comprises four videos on Tyre Market Data, Tyre Standards, end of Life Tyres, and Tyre Recycling. If you would like to comment on any of the contents, use our social media pages and the hashtag #TIC2020, or email theeditor@tyrepress.com.
Continue ReadingPRA calls for clarification from the Welsh government on car washes
The Petrol Retailers and Car Wash Associations represent the 5,350 independent forecourt operators and specialist car wash companies across the UK. This covers 65 per cent of the total fuel outlets (PFS). Many of these sites have Automated Car Washes (ACW). The PRA does not represent the standalone Hand Car Washes (HCW), which on occasion may breach Covid-19 regulations as well as ones covering tax, employment and the environment.
Continue ReadingConsultation on Motor Vehicle Block Exemption launched: NFDA and AECDR respond
The European Commission has this week launched the public consultation on the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2010). The purpose of the consultation is to assess whether and to what extent the objectives of the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (MVBER) are fulfilled. Motor vehicle distribution and after-sales agreements are currently subject to Commission Regulation (EU) No 461/2010 (MVBER).
Continue ReadingAutoSock first to gain European supplementary grip standard
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) published the new European Standard EN16662-1:2020 for supplementary grip devices on 27 May 2020, which covers not only metal snow chains but also devices made from other materials. On 27 September AutoSock announced that its textile alternative for cars and light commercial vehicles to 3.5 tons was the first and is currently the only product worldwide to be certified according to the new European Standard. As a result, it will be a regulatory approved alternative to snow chains in all EU countries effective 1 December 2020.
Continue ReadingMounting evidence of fly-tipping and abandonment alarms TRA members
This autumn could bring with it a new rash of tyre dumping and site abandonment warns Britain’s Tyre Recovery Association (TRA). The association has warned that there are several factors of which the public, our regulators and the tyre trade should be aware. The TRAs latest comments follow a previous warning that market conditions were likely to have such consequences earlier in the year.
Continue ReadingFace coverings mandated for UK dealers
With yet another raft of measures to curb the spread of Covid 19 being introduced by government, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK, has intervened in an attempt to clarify the situation vis-à-vis car dealerships.
Continue ReadingAddressing the EV ‘charging anxiety’ problem
We are continually being told that electric vehicles are the future – indeed, petrol and diesel-engined vehicles are scheduled to be phased out in the UK market; the original deadline was 2040, but this was brought forward to 2035, and there is talk of possibly introducing the ban in 2030. This last date is regarded by many as unachievable – when the deadline was brought forward to 2035, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, described the situation as “extremely concerning” and accused the Government of “moving the goalposts.”
Continue ReadingTyreSafe launches Tyre Safety Month campaign with online briefing
TyreSafe has launched its 2020 Tyre Safety Month campaign with its first online briefing. Following the success of its previous ‘Get Into The Groove’ campaign, TyreSafe has prepared a fresh batch of cultural parodies with which to publicise its ACT acronym – standing for Air pressure, Condition, Tread. A range of movie poster parodies, including ‘Judge Tread’, ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Under Inflated’, and ‘Done in 60 Seconds’, are available for garages, businesses and other organisations to encourage motorists to take better care of their tyres. The distribution of the materials will reflect the digitalisation trend of this year, driven by the necessity of adapting to Covid-19 Crisis conditions; a wide variety of banners formatted for each of the major social media networks will be available. The briefing featured a panel discussion with Stuart Lovatt, Highways England strategic road safety lead; Tony Crook, National Fire Chief Council lead officer road safety; Simon Turner, Driving for Better Business campaign manager; and James Luckhurst, Project EDWARD founder.
Continue ReadingEuropean tyre industry to help achieve new EU climate goals
The European Commission’s new target of a 55 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 has been welcomed by the tyre industry. The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers’ Association said that the industry is ready to “ready to contribute” to the latest decarbonisation goals. The association added that its “members have been committed to reducing their CO2 footprint throughout the tyre life cycle and investing in innovative and sustainable mobility technologies for many years now.” The association was responding to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s 16 September State of the Union address.
Continue ReadingLow performing car tyres illegal from 1 May 2021
On 7 August the government shared some results from its recent type approval consultation. That four-week consultation period came to an end on 26 June 2020 and sought views from across the automotive industry relating to what statutory instrument should supersede European type approval Regulation (EU) 2018/858, which covers new vehicle safety. The result? Low performing car tyres and van tyres will be illegal from 1 May 2021. The government type approval consultation supports 30-month grace period for running down such stocks. And OBD ports will remain open for independent garages to access repair and maintenance information.
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