Transport Legislation
Legislative framework for transportation systems, road safety, public transport, aviation, and maritime matters.
The Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations amend existing UK legislation deriving from EU Regulations (EU) 2018/1139, specifically affecting Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
The amendments introduce UK-specific branding for drone classes (replacing 'C' with 'UK'), clarify scope by excluding UAS under 100g MTOM or those operated wholly indoors, and impose new technical requirements for direct remote identification and geo-awareness on certain classes, with most technical changes commencing in January 2028.
Furthermore, the rules delegate authority for approving conformity assessment bodies from the Secretary of State to the market surveillance authority.
The Merchant Shipping (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State for Transport with the consent of the Treasury under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, amend the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018, chiefly by extending their general period of effect by three years until November 2028, while simultaneously terminating the effect of a specific fee entry related to safety communications fees after seven years.
The Hovercraft (Fees) Regulations 2025
The Secretary of State for Transport, using powers under the Hovercraft (General) Order 1972 and with Treasury approval, enacted The Hovercraft (Fees) Regulations 2025, which simultaneously establish a specific fee of £153 for issuing a hovercraft certificate of registration and consequentially remove a previously included, erroneous fee entry from The Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018, with these regulations applying across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State for Transport exercised powers granted under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to enact the M32 Motorway (Junctions 1 to 3) (40 and 60 Miles Per Hour Speed Limits) Regulations 2025, which came into force on 11th November 2025 and apply across England and Wales; these regulations permanently establish 40 mph and 60 mph speed limits on defined sections of the M32 motorway between Junctions 1 and 3, excluding areas where a temporary speed restriction under section 14 of the Act takes precedence.
The Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) (Amendment) Order 2025
The Hovercraft (Application of Enactments) (Amendment) Order 2025, made by His Majesty in Council, amends the principal 1989 Order to ensure that current maritime legislation concerning casualty investigations, pollution prevention, safety regulations, fees, and ambulatory references to international instruments applies correctly to hovercraft as it applies to ships across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) (Correction) Order 2025
This Order, titled The Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) (Correction) Order 2025, formally enacts corrections to errors and omissions found within The Portishead Branch Line (MetroWest Phase 1) Order 2022, which originally granted development consent under the Planning Act 2008.
The Secretary of State made these corrections, which range from minor typographical adjustments to definitional changes affecting bodies like Network Rail and National Grid, subsequent to a formal written request from the applicant.
The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under powers in the Road Traffic Act 1988, amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 to update the medical standards for Group 2 driving licences (bus and lorry drivers) concerning diabetes management, specifically by replacing the requirement for 'blood glucose monitoring' with 'appropriate monitoring to assess glucose levels and any risk of hypoglycaemia' and modifying requirements for monitoring devices.
The Access to the Countryside (Coastal Margin) (Felixstowe Ferry to Bawdsey) Order 2025
This order sets September 24, 2025, as the end of the access preparation period for coastal land between Felixstowe Ferry and Bawdsey.
The decision follows the approval by the Secretary of State of Natural England's proposals, detailed in six reports, under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
The order cites the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 as its legal basis and clarifies terms and definitions used in the approval process.
Copies of the Secretary of State’s notices of approval are available online and through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.