Hello everyone,
We will be using this page to keep our customers & all those in the PCO industry updated with the latest developments as and when they are announced by the Govt, please check here for regular updates and bookmark the page for easy access.
Lockdown 2.0 announced – 2nd November
The prime minister annouced over the weekend that England is going back into lockdown effective from Thursday 5th November. With Lockdown set to last until 02/12/2020, this could be extended if the infection rate doesn’t drop and continues to rise. This hope is that action being taken now will allow us to retuen back to a tiered system.
There are set measure in place on when are how you can leave home, which have been outlined below but for a full list and breakdown please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november:
- If you are unable to work from home then you can go to work, otherwise you should be staying at home to work.
- Going outdoors for exercise, this can be done with one more additional person.
- For any medical reasons or appointments that are necessary.
- Shopping for food and essential items.
- Schools, Universities and colleges are to remain open.
- Leisure, entertainment venues and gyms will need to close.
- Pubs, restaurants are to be closed but can still remain open for takeaways.
- Children are able to move between homes if parents are separated.
At HireBrid we are here and support our drivers through this difficult time, as a result of this we are putting a lockdown on our pricing, this means you will stay pay the same weekly rent without any risk of prices going up, giving you peace of mind on the road.
10pm curfew for bars and restaurants – 22nd September
It was announced on the 22nd of September that stricter measures would be put in place to slow down infection rates, we have listed these below:
- 10 pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants from Thursday 24 September
- Table service only in hospitality venues
- Work from home if you can
- Customers must wear face coverings in taxis, as well as staff in retail
- Staff and customers in indoor hospitality must now wear face coverings
- From Monday 28 September, only 15 people can attend a wedding service
and reception – 30 people can still attend a funeral - A maximum of six people can take part in indoor team sports
- Large sports events and conferences will not take place from 1 October, as
previously planned - Businesses will be fined £10,000 and could be closed if they breach
regulations - The fine for people not wearing face coverings in shops, supermarkets, public
transport, taxis and in indoor hospitality will double to £200 for a first time
offence, from £100 - This fine will be the same for those who break the “rule of six”
Those who have been shielding do not need to do so except in local lockdown
areas.
New Face Mask Requirements – 8th August
With the slow increase of cases spreading across the UK the Government has announced a range of new shops, public places which will require a face mask to be worn, we have listed these for you below;
- Cinema/Theatres/Bingo Halls/Concerts
- Public areas in hotel/hostels/social clubs/places of worship/community centres
- Auction houses/veterinary services/storage and distribution facilities
- nail/beauty/hair salons and barbers, where treatment is required than mask should be removed if absolutely necessary.
- Museums, galleries, aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms
- Indoor entertainment venues, amusement arcades, funfairs, adventure activities such as laser quest, go-karting, escape rooms, heritage sites
Those who are caught not wearing masks by the police can be fined upto £100. It has also been recommended by Public Health England that for health reasons children under 3 should not be wearing a face mask.
Members of the public are also exempt if a mask is likely to cause them severe distress, or if they have a physical/mental illness or disability.
Govt announces further easing of lockdown restrictions – 10th July
Further announcements were made this week as the Government continues to ease restrictions, a summary can be found below
- Outdoor water parks and swimming venues are now open to the public
- Outdoor performances such as live music, opera and dance.
- Outdoor sports such as cricket will now be allowed
For further information please visit here.
Further easing of lockdown – 26th June
The Government has announced from the 4th of July onwards the following easing of lockdown restrictions will allow, pubs, bars and restaurants to open.
Additional businesses such as museums, cinemas and hotels will also start to gradually open up to the public.
Further easing of rules will allow households to meet in groups upto two households, in both public or private, indoor or outdoor locations. The 2 meter rule has also been relaxed to 1 meter provided precautions have been taken, such as wearing a face mask etc..
For a full breakdown please check here
This comes as great news as the economy slowly starts to open up and socially we become more active.
Government further easing lockdown from June 15th – 10th June 2020
Following the latest Government announcement, all non-essential shops will now open from June 15th onwards. This is on condition that such shops are able to adhere to the guidelines issued on social distancing, please note the following will still be closed and are due to open in July.
- Pubs
- Clubs
- Hairdressers
- Restaurants
With the Government slowly starting to ease restrictions we are seeing many busier streets and an increase in demand for ride-hailing services as people start to get back to work.
Please see our latest response to the ease of restrictions during this period here.
TFL Updates to COVID-19 response:
TFL have recently provided updated guidance to fall in line with the easing of lockdown restrictions from June 15th;
- Drivers SHOULD wear a face covering at all times.
- Face covering can consist of a simple cloth which covers the face and mouth, alternatively a disposable or reusable face mask can be used.
- If a passenger is not wearing a face mask or covering, drivers can refuse to carry out the journey.
- More information on the latest guidance from TFL can be found here
Congestion charge increase – 15th May 2020
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced today that there will be an increase in the congestion charge and ULEZ from June 22nd this year. This is in response to the government’s bailout of £1.6 billion which was given to TfL a day earlier.
For the moment the congestion charge will still be £11.50 a day from the 18th of March and the timings will remain at 7 am – 6 pm. From the 22nd of June, these will change to £15 a day and the timings will be from 7 am – 10 pm 7 days a week.
TFL extends PHV licenses for 6 months
Recent updates from TFL have come into force with immediate effect:
- Taxi or PHV vehicle licences which have expired or are due to expire between 23 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 (inclusive) will remain licensed for a period of six months pending the full resumption of vehicle inspections and a decision by TfL on the grant of a new licence
- The six-month period will be applied from the date the vehicle licence is due to expire. For example, if a vehicle licence is due to expire on 15 April 2020, it will remain licensed until 15 October 2020
MOT Exemptions for vehicle owners
The UK Government has recently announced that as of March 30th 2020 vehicles will be exempt from MOT testing for a period of 6 months. Please note that vehicles are still required to be in road worthy condition and travel must only essentially travel must be carried out, further information can be found at the following link
Government announces Emergency funding support
Following on from the impact Coronavirus has had on many people throughout the UK the Government has announced an emergency funding package designed to help those people who are self-employed and have lost income due to the coronavirus outbreak.
There are a few requirements which need to be met to ensure you are eligible for help:
- Have submitted your Income Tax Self Assessment tax return for the tax year 2018-19
- traded in the tax year 2019-20
- are trading when you apply, or would be except for COVID-19
- intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020-21
- have lost trading/partnership trading profits due to COVID-19
For further information and eligibility criteria please visit the following link
Congestion Charge & ULEZ suspended
Following on from the Government’s decision to have cafe’s, pubs and restaurants closed until further notice, TFL has now also taken steps to temporarily suspend congestion charge and ULEZ schemes. The suspension has been put in place to allow critical workers, such as the NHS, to get around more easily, with what one hopes is less traffic on the road. This is also to help supply chain companies with deliveries to supermarkets.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has said the following:
“‘This is not an invitation to take to your cars. To save lives we need the roads clear for ambulances, doctors, nurses and other critical workers. This is an unprecedented time and I know Londoners are doing everything they can to look after each other. I continue to urge all Londoners to follow the advice of public health authorities and not leave their homes unless it is absolutely essential”
Paul Copwerthaite who is the TFL’s GM of road user charging also made the following statement:
“What we are seeing through this crisis is that London’s critical workforce is wider than just the core emergency services. Emergency services workers are absolutely fundamental to our response, but supermarket workers, utilities engineers, refuse collectors, and many more, also need to be able to travel to keep the city functioning. This is why we have temporarily suspended road user charging in the capital”
Hirebrids’ Reduced Fees – 18th March 2020
Hirebrid has always championed being part of a larger community and ensuring that all of our customers are looked after, with this in mind we are making the following changes to help support you.
With effect from March 27th to April 4th, all fees will be reduced to £150, this extends to both our Rent to Buy & Rental schemes. For our Rent to Buy customers please note that the difference will be adjusted towards the end of the scheme.