The Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) (Amendment) Order 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

1.  This Order amends the Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) Order 1975 (“the 1975 Order”) in the following ways.

2.  References to an application for a certificate of maximum load and permissible weight for use outside the United Kingdom, or for the assignment of an identification mark for similar use, in respect of a vehicle or trailer, are omitted because they are obsolete (article (3)(1)(a)).

3.  The fee for an international driving permit or an international certificate for motor vehicles is increased from £3 to £4, although the increase does not apply if the application for the document is made before the coming into force of this Order (article 3(1)(b), (2) and (3)).

4.  Visitors to Great Britain resident in the Isle of Man or Jersey who hold appropriate visitors' driving permits may drive in Great Britain large goods and passenger-carrying vehicles whether or not those vehicles have been brought temporarily into Great Britain (article 4(1)).

5.  The definitions of Convention driving permit and domestic driving permit are amended so that foreign provisional licences do not have the same validity as full driving licences (article 4(2)).

6.  The provision allowing foreign military personnel to drive large buses and lorries is restored, having been removed by The Motor Vehicles (International Circulation) (Amendment) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/771) (article 4(3)).

7.  Article 5(2) of the 1975 Order is amended (articles 5 and 6) so that relief from vehicle excise duty is available to vehicles entering the United Kingdom from other member States of the European Communities in conformity with:—

(i) The First Council Directive of 23rd July 1962 (OJ L70 6.8.62 p. 2005) on the establishment of common rules for certain types of carriage (including international own account carriage) of goods by road;

(ii) Council Directive (EEC) 83/182 (OJ No. L105 23.4.83, p. 59) which applies to private vehicles entering the UK from other member States of the European Communities for both private and business purposes;

(iii) Council Regulation (EEC) 881/92 (OJ No. L95 9.4.92, p. 1) which applies to vehicles carrying goods for hire or reward which enter the UK from other member States of the European Communities as part of an international journey;

(iv) Council Regulation (EEC) 2454/92 (OJ No. L251 29.8.92, p. 1) which applies to passenger carrying vehicles which enter the UK from other member States of the European Communities in order to carry out in the UK road passenger transport services for hire or reward (cabotage); although the Regulation was annulled by the European Court of Justice on 1 June 1994 in Case C-388/92 (European Parliament v Council of European Union [94 ECR 1—2067]) the provisions have been declared by the court as remaining effective until the Council, after consultation with the Parliament, has adopted new legislation in the matter;

(v) Council Regulation (EEC) 684/92 (OJ No. L74 20.3.92, p1) which applies to vehicles carrying passengers for hire or reward or own account (ie an undertaking carrying its own employees or a non-profit making organisation carrying passengers for a social purpose) which enter the UK from other member States of the European Communities as part of an international journey;

(vi) Council Regulation (EEC) 3118/93 (OJ No. L279 12.11.93, p1) as amended by Council Regulation (EC) 3315/94 (OJ No. L350 31.12.94, p9) which applies to goods carrying vehicles which enter the UK from other member States of the European Communities in order to carry out in the UK road goods transport services for hire or reward or own account (cabotage).

8.  Article 5A of the 1975 Order is revoked, with a transposition of article 5A(10), because the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 applies to Northern Ireland as well as to Great Britain.