A month after the initiative was first reported in Access All Areas, the Government has confirmed it will introduce a dual registration scheme enabling hauliers serving music concerts, sports and cultural events to drive the same vehicle in Britain and abroad.

The move will mean specialist events hauliers will be able to transfer their vehicles between operator licences without needing to pay additional Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in Great Britain for 6 months.

The measure, which is expected to come into force late summer, is in reaction to extensive lobbying carried out by the events industry, led by LIVE touring group chair Craig Stanley, which has worked closely with the Department for Transport (DfT) to find a solution.

The DfT said dual registration will mean drivers with an established base in Britain and in another country outside of the UK will be able to transfer their vehicle between both operator licences without the need to change vehicles, have their journeys limited or pay VED in Britain.

The move will benefit major operators including Transam Trucking, Edwin Shirly Trucking, KB Event, Stagetruck and Fly By Nite.

Transam/EST senior manager Ollie Kite told Access the measure provided a lifeline to trucking companies: “Without dual registration we would have had to move our fleet to Europe and not service the UK or keep them in UK and not service Europe.”

Dual registration will not benefit hauliers who only have bases in the UK, and concern has been raised that the measure will not help smaller-scale touring – such as fledgling acts heading to Europe in smaller vehicles such as vans.

Music Managers Forum chief executive Annabella Coldrick and Featured Artists Coalition CEO David Martin, who co-founded the #LetTheMusicMove campaign, issued the following statement: “This is an important breakthrough for large-scale touring businesses with the resources to operate in multiple European territories. For the future success of British music and those emerging and mid-tier artists who are incurring massively increased costs touring Europe, it is vital that there is further support for those who tour with more limited budgets. Investing in a comprehensive music export strategy today will deliver real dividends, helping to maintain our industry’s status as a global leader.”

The DfT said it is working closely with EU partners and the live music industry to ensure that smaller artists can continue to tour freely around the world.

Vans for Bands director Tarrant Anderson said, “We are really pleased that the Department for Transport has engaged in detail with our sector on this critical issue and has come up with a solution to keep the live music touring industry moving. Without this initiative a large number of tours this year would simply have been unable to take place.”

Stanley said, “We now look forward to working with government on options to permanently resolve this issue, such as the negotiation of an EU-wide cultural exemption.”

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said, “It is unacceptable that because of EU bureaucracy, the operations of our specialist haulage sector on which our artists rely have been put at risk, impacting the livelihoods of touring artists and sportspeople.

“Dual registration helps put this right and means that touring events can take place seamlessly across Great Britain, the EU and beyond, keeping our incredible cultural sector thriving for years to come.”

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