YOUR ASSOCIATION
BVRLA Manifesto for Covid-19 recovery
Government seeks input from the BVRLA on transport decarbonisation
During the Covid-19 pandemic the fleet industry has reasserted its role as the lifeblood sustaining the vital organs of the UK economy and society.
Twenty-seven different member organisations were present at the association’s decarbonisation policy workshop in May, which was attended by senior officials from the Department’s for Transport, Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, HM Treasury and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. The focus of the workshop was to discuss the feasibility of achieving a 2035 target for the phasing out of the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.
It is the trucks taking PPE to our hospitals and groceries to our supermarkets; the vans delivering prescriptions to our loved ones and emergency plumbers to our houses; and the cars transporting NHS staff to their patients and other key workers to their place of work. The BVRLA has produced a manifesto for government setting out a range of policy measures for delivering a swift and sustained recovery for the UK economy and its transport ecosystem. Proposed plan of action for the Government’s next 90 days:
The official target for achieving this is currently 2040, but the Government is keen to explore bringing this date forward to 2035 and wants to understand industry’s views on what the potential obstacles would be to preventing an earlier date from being met. 3. Focus on the key levers for accelerating road transport decarbonisation. 4. T ake a more active role in supporting the roll-out of Clean Air Zones.
1. Maintain the financial liquidity that underpins the motor finance market.
5. S upport the role of flexible car models in enabling more sustainable transport choices.
2. Provide a tax and incentive regime that will stimulate vehicle demand.
Read the Manifesto for Covid-19 Recovery on the BVRLA website. u
| Spring 2020
BVRLA members made clear that: • the next five years are critical for policymakers to pave the way to meeting their ambitious decarbonisation targets. • charging infrastructure and van supply are two big challenges. • policymakers should not try and adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach to fleet decarbonisation and should instead recognise that different fleet segments have different trajectories. The corporate car leasing sector was optimistic about hitting a 2030 target for banning new petrol and diesel car sales, while commercial vehicle fleet operators were much less optimistic about even meeting a 2035 deadline.
The BVRLA plans to organise a range of workshops on the transport decarbonisation theme as looks to take a proactive approach in advising the Government on its strategy. To provide input, contact BVRLA Senior Policy Advisor, Catherine Bowen at catherine@bvrla.co.uk. u
Trade bodies collaborate on industry guidance The BVRLA has collaborated with the Finance and Leasing Association, National Association of Motor Auctions and the Vehicle Remarketing Association on a set of guidance to help clarify the requirements that apply on vehicle and parts collections, delivery and distribution, storage and technical services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 9-page Guidance for vehicle collection, delivery distribution and technical services during Covid-19 can be read on the BVRLA website. u 11
