EU referendum, brexit and the aftermath

So many control

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/liz-truss-bemoans-defensive-trade-attitude-caused-by-eu-membership-40850807.html

How is that India trade deal going?

"Protectionism is bad" ah yes. Ask the farmers.

Sarcasm aside, she only signed crappy deals. Environmental standards are dropped for the Australia deal, the UK excluded Paris agreement standards.

Of course her message will be warmly received by the intent audience.

Guna get squishy out on the roads.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the House of Commons last week the government would now overhaul regulations to boost capacity, meaning:

Car drivers will no longer need to take a separate test to tow a trailer or caravan, allowing roughly 30,000 more HGV tests to be conducted every year

Tests will be made shorter by removing several elements and having them tested separately by a third party

Drivers will be able to get a licence to drive an articulated vehicle without first getting one for a smaller vehicle, making around 20,000 more HGV driving tests available every year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58552789

Car drivers will no longer need to take a separate test to tow a trailer or caravan

That's how it used to be anyway, not that long ago. Being an old giffer, I can tow a trailer despite not having taken a test. Making it easier to drive an HGV is another kettle of fish entirely. Especially removing the reversing test.

removing the reversing test

Epic wtf thread…

Once upon a time you didn't need a driving licence at all, maybe we should go all the way back to that?

I'm kind of okay with that. HGV reversing gone wrong probably destroys buildings and mostly ones who have a contract with the HGV driver (perhaps indirectly). It's HGVs going forwards round corners in urban environments that worries me.

It's HGVs going forwards round corners in urban environments and hitting bridges that worries me.

The Bridges Hitters will be much more when they choose to use Google Maps to navigated.

It's HGVs going forwards round corners in urban environments that worries me.

Dropping the requirement to go up through the various sizes of goods vehicle before you get to HGV will be, it strikes me, sub-optimal in that regard.

Car drivers will no longer need to take a separate test to tow a trailer or caravan

I had no idea they had to do this anyway. I wonder when that was introduced

I wonder when that was introduced

1st January 1997

when they choose to use Google Maps to navigated

Legislating for all HGVs to have an HGV specific sat nav might do something. Maybe.

I recently had a Tesco delivery to a building 1.5 miles up a farm track off Snake Pass in the Peak District. The Tesco fitted Sat Nav couldn't find the property, Google Maps did. That kind of uselessness probably encourages commercial drivers to want to use Google Maps.

As long as there's a chap with a red flag in front. As was the case until the 1910s.

Epic wtf thread…

Well, indeed. It's not like it's important or dangerous.

I'm kind of okay with that. HGV reversing gone wrong probably destroys buildings and mostly ones who have a contract with the HGV driver (perhaps indirectly). It's HGVs going forwards round corners in urban environments that worries me.

Your altruism is singularly commendable. Evidently it's OK if people in logistics warehouses are killed by reversing HGVs because it won't be you. Give yourself a big pat on the smug self-satisfied back.

I reckon you could take out 2 or 3 pillars of a warehouse before it falls down.

More seriously I think warehouse owners take the safety of their staff on premises more seriously as a death there opens them up to corporate manslaughter charges while running down people on the streets is an externality.

Looks like you can still tow a trailer, just limited in weight. I was a bit concerned there:

You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM with up to 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).

You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer is not more than 3,500kg.

It's a problem for some organisations..old people like me that passed their test before Jan 1997 can drive a minibus. People that passed after that can't without an extra test. For people like teachers where you might want to drive the school minibus to the neighboring school for a football competition needing an extra test is awkward.

I reckon you could take out 2 or 3 pillars of a warehouse before it falls down

Yeah,you might have to scrape a few banksmen off the loading bay, but collateral damage, hey?

I reckon the places with banksman will make sure their HGV drivers have had the reversing practice/testing. It's the places without banksman that will.cur corners (off).

It's the forklift drivers that you need to watch out for in those places. They dgaf.

Once upon a time you didn't need a driving licence at all, maybe we should go all the way back to that?

Actual Libertarian political position.

Apparently there is some debate... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcllE7fx8-I

I've not watched that YouTube clip, but I could see an argument for allowing people to drive without a licence - if monitoring and enforcement was universal and severe.

Then people would (potentially) volunteer for training before getting behind the wheel, if a severe enough range of punishments was in the offing.

But - no one in this Libertarian paradise would be able to drive abroad, which might be annoying.

This is like a skit from ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’. Darryl Perry looks straight out of the 90s.