With effect from December 24, 2022, the UK is making further changes to the national rules governing access to the UK road haulage market for EU hauliers. The changes are contained in the contents of UK Transport Minister’s Regulation 1260/2022 of November 26: “The Drivers’ Hours, Tachographs, International Road Haulage and Licensing of Operators (Amendment) Regulations 2022”. These regulations came into force on 24.12.2022.
The new regulations include, inter alia:
– a prohibition for EU hauliers to carry out cabotage operations after entering the UK without a cargo;
– the possibility to carry out two cabotage operations in the UK within 7 days, following the delivery of a cargo in international traffic – in accordance with Article 462 paragraph 7(a and b) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom (TCA).
– a prohibition for EU hauliers to carry out combined transport operations (i.e. certain types of intermodal transport in which goods are carried in the same load unit or vehicle using two, or more, modes of transport) within the UK. EU hauliers therefore will be allowed to carry out transport to/from the UK only entirely with the same vehicle or combination of vehicles. However, it will not be permitted to collect/deliver semi-trailers/trailers with trucks to/from ports or rail terminals carrying transport operations within the UK.
– the possibility for EU hauliers to carry out transport operations between the UK and third countries on the basis of ECMT permits only (previously, only a Community license was required for such transport operations). This requirement is also applicable for operations from the UK to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein and vice versa.
There are high fines for infringements of the new rules. Any necessary information on the sanctions applicable for road transport infringements in the UK is available at the following link:
The complaints procedure for road transport inspections is available at the following link: