Ukraine refugees win change to costly vehicle rule

Iryna Morosovska said she and her daughter struggled when their car was off the road

The government has eased road regulations for refugees who fled the war in Ukraine in their cars.

Some vehicles have previously needed expensive modifications in order to be driven in the UK after six months.

Iryna Morosovska, who is being hosted in Romsey, Hampshire, said she faced a bill of up to £2,000 for headlights and other modifications.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said some changes such as beam deflector stickers would be allowed instead.

It said other temporary modifications might also be permitted although vehicles would still need to meet UK standards.

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes said she was relieved at the rule change

Ms Morosovska said she struggled with walking to work during December and had been unable to take her daughter to leisure facilities while her car was off the road for three months.

She said: "The government did nothing to change things. I was without a car and it turned out to be very hard to live in Britain without wheels."

Another refugee, Olena Kozachenko, drove her car back to Ukraine to avoid a £1,400 headlight conversion bill.

UK host Phil Palfrey, who assisted her, said she could have avoided the dangerous journey by sticking on a £10 pair of headlamp deflectors if the rules had been changed earlier.

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes, who wrote to the government about the issue, said the new guidelines were good news for Ukrainians.

She said: "Additional costs and difficulties should not be placed in their way.

"It is hard enough to have to leave your home and flee to safety so I am relieved that the government has stepped in to change the requirements in this way."

The DfT said Ukrainian refugees could trigger the exemption by mentioning their visa status when they applied for an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) at the end of the six-month grace period.