Latest news
Not Everybody However Agrees
GREECE – WORLDWIDE – With continued pressures on the airline industry due to the continuing pandemic, the latest initiative from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to agree a common digital European Covid-19 vaccination certificate, to enable those who are vaccinated to travel freely within Europe without Covid-19 testing, has received the support of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
UK Advice Sites for Covid and Document Checks
UK – EUROPE – For drivers of vehicles headed to the Continent with freight the new rules brought in to accommodate the Brexit protocols are still proving difficult for many. The government has published a list of advice sites at which drivers and crew of HGVs, LGVs, coaches and vans can get free Covid-19 tests and border readiness checks before transporting goods to the EU.
More Demands for Vaccines and Priority Status for Seafarers
WORLDWIDE – Despite all the good intentions and previous promises of action, the problem of crew changes during the pandemic, with all its implications for safety and mental health, is hanging around like a bad smell in a telephone box. Once again the cry to relieve those seafarers trapped far from home has gone up, this time from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
Flexible System to Protect Those HGV Nearside Blind Spots
UK – The proposed revisions to the Highway Code, giving vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians a higher priority, plus the incoming changes to lorry design and functionality, such as the Direct Vision Standard mandatory for trucks in London from 1 March 2021, combine to make a perfect storm for HGV drivers.
Cargo Service Capacity Increased by 60 Percent
UK – WORLDWIDE – There have always been complaints from forwarding agents and road haulage operators that, where freight is shipped alongside passengers, carriers often prioritise travellers during peak seasons, so as to maximise their profits.
The Weekly Industry Staff Announcements
WORLDWIDE – XPO Logistics has announced the senior leadership team for the intended spin-off of the company’s logistics segment. The spin-off will result in separate businesses with clearly delineated service offerings: XPORemainCo, a global provider of less-than-truckload (LTL) and truck brokerage transportation services; and NewCo, a contract logistics provider.
Some Relevant Items That Never Made the Headlines
UK – The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has granted the British Standards Institution (BSI) approval for UKCA product marking. This new marking is required for placing relevant regulated products on the market in England, Scotland and Wales from 1 January 2021. BSI will also continue to be a Notified Body for the Northern Ireland market.
Simultaneous Legislation by the EU Threatens Chaos
UK – EUROPE – Back in November we wrote of the potential problems faced by anyone in the US importing goods, due to the restrictions being imposed by the Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act (STOP Act). The legislation was designed to curb the trafficking by post of illicit substances. Now it seems those affected are facing a 'double whammy'.
RoRo Landing Facilities Improved on Key Route
UK – Ferry landing points often throw up a myriad of hitherto unseen problems. As RoRo ships change routes and find themselves in different harbours, so the anomalies can prove both costly and time consuming.
Name Change from March
NORWAY – DNV GL, the assurance and risk management company, will change its name to DNV on 1 March 2021. The move comes after a comprehensive review of the company's strategy as it positions itself for a world in which many of DNV's markets are undergoing fundamental change.
