There’s been a change to Drivers’ Hours and Tachograph rules. The aim of the change is to harmonise the requirements for UK transport businesses that operate vehicles in Europe.
The essential point for operators to be aware of is that, with effect from 24th April 2025 drivers working in the EU must have 56 days of historical records – as opposed to the previous 28. You can find further guidance by visiting the Government website.
In addition, to make it easier for van drivers to switch from internal combustion vehicles to electric or hydrogen powered vehicles, holders of standard category B driving licences can now (with effect from 10th June 2025) drive zero emission vehicles weighing up to 4.25 tonnes maximum authorised mass.
This is up from the 3.5-tonne limit for petrol or diesel powered vans. The change also removes the requirement for a category B licence holder to undertake five hours of additional training before they drive an alternatively fuelled vehicle weighing up to 4.25 tonnes.
The rule change covers vans, minibuses, SUVs and any vehicle you can usually drive using a category B licence up to 3.5 tonnes. You can find out more on this FleetNews article.