MAJOR new changes for drivers are coming into force this month, including daily costs on driving in a world-famous city and language tests for some taxi drivers.
Here is everything you need to know about the government’s raft of changes affecting British drivers in October.
Taking its toll
From October 29, motorists in Oxford will have to pay when driving through parts of the city as councillors ramp up attempts to reduce traffic and cut emissions.
Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved the controversial scheme in September, meaning every driver who passes through one of six key points will have to pay a daily fee of £5.
Motorists will face the toll at six locations — Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, St Clement’s Street, Thames Street, Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way.
Only carers, traders, blue badge holders and those living or commuting in central Oxford will be eligible for permits to bypass the charge.
Charging cameras, warning signs and back-office systems are being put in place ahead of the rollout.
The local authority insists it is a “temporary” measure brought in because the long-term closure of Botley Road has caused major traffic jams and delayed its wider traffic filter project until 2026.
Councillor Andrew Gant, cabinet member for transport, said the policy “doesn’t cure everything but it does deliver very significant benefits”.
But opponents say the move is a “tax on working people” and will devastate trade in the run-up to Christmas.
Mind your language
All taxi drivers in London will have to pass a new test before being issued with a licence after October 1.
The Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment covers taxi fares and payments.
Transport for London (TfL) said it was making the changes to ensure all London taxi drivers were complying with “standards regarding safeguarding and English language skills”.
It also requires taxi drivers to be aware of safeguarding, equality and disability issues, among others.
A spokesperson for TfL added: “The taxi driver SERU assessment is being introduced to ensure that all London taxi drivers are complying with the standards regarding safeguarding and English language skills.”
All London taxi drivers whose taxi driver’s licence expires on or after October 1 must pass the taxi driver SERU assessment when they renew their taxi driver’s licence and before they can be relicensed.
The taxi driver SERU assessment will be based on information contained in the Taxi Driver Handbook.
That’s electric
The new energy price cap, set at £1,755 per year for a typical household from October 1, is likely to affect EV drivers.
The price cap will see bills rise by £35.14 per year for households using a typical amount of energy – up from the current rate of £1,720, which came into effect in July.
This is a hike of £2.93 a month, leaving a home on a default tariff paying £102 for what currently costs £100 per month.
The figure is higher than the 1 per cent rise predicted by industry experts lin August.
Only those on standard variable tariffs, which is over 35million households, will be affected by the price cap change.
Experts have warned that motorists who charge their electric cars at home could face more expensive charges.
This will particularly affect those not making use of EV-friendly tariffs.
Fuel’s gold
Industry figures hope the Government’s fuel finder scheme will lead to more competitive pricing when it’s in operation, with GB News reporting the scheme could be introduced this month.
Labour has confirmed that it plans to introduce a tool that would require major retailers and supermarkets to publish data of their live fuel prices within 30 minutes of any changes.
Drivers will be able to compare real-time fuel prices in navigation apps, in-car devices and comparison websites.
It could mean savings between one and six pence per litre on fuel costs when introduced.
And there’s another driving law change coming at Christmas too …
A NEW driving law will came into effect later this year that will affect thousands of motorists, writes Michael Golson.
Until this year, drivers of fully electric or hydrogen-fuelled vehicles were exempt from paying the £15 fee when travelling through London’s congestion-charge zones.
However, this will change at Christmas, as from December 25 2025 onwards, all drivers, regardless of their vehicle type, will be required to pay the congestion charge when driving through the congestion-charge zone in the capital.
There is a slight reprieve, as the congestion charge is not applicable between 25 December and 1 January each year; therefore, electric and hydrogen-fuelled cars will start paying the congestion charge from 2 January 2026.
At present, electric and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are exempt from the congestion charge under the Cleaner Vehicle Discount.
This exemption was originally intended to encourage drivers to switch to greener vehicles in central London, as well as to combat air and noise pollution.
