xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"

Statutory Instruments

2003 No. 1816

ROAD TRAFFIC

The Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Made

14th July 2003

Laid before Parliament

21st July 2003

Coming into force

11th August 2003

The Secretary of State for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 49, 51(1) and 53(5) of the Road Traffic Act 1988(1) and by virtue of the Department of Transport (Fees) Order 1988(2), and of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, and after consultation with representative organisations in accordance with section 195(2) of that Act, hereby makes the following Regulations:—

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 11th August 2003.

Preliminary

2.  The Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988(3) shall be further amended as follows.

Amendments relating to fees

3.—(1) In regulation 12, in paragraph (3), for the Table there shall be substituted the following Table—

TABLE

Description of vehicleFee (£)
Motor vehicle with 2 axles42.00
Motor vehicle with 3 axles48.00
Motor vehicle with 4 or more axles54.00
Trailer with 1 axle21.00
Trailer with 2 axles24.00
Trailer with 3 or more axles27.00

(2) In the regulations specified in column (1) of the following Table for the amounts specified in column (2) there shall be substituted the amounts specified in column (3).

TABLE

(1)(2)(3)
RegulationExisting amount (£)Substituted amount (£)
12(4)2225.50
1416.00
12(4A)7.509.00
3.504.00
16(1)20.5023.50
1112.50
16(3)20.5023.50
1112.50
16(4)1112.50
78.00
16(4A)4.505.50
16(5)22.5025.50
1416.00
16(5A)7.509.00
3.504.00
34(1)1517.00
34(2)910.00
34(2A)4.505.50
37B(2)1517.00

Amendments to regulation 8 (conditions of acceptance of a vehicle)

4.—(1) Regulation 8 shall be further amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph (2)(k), after the words “preceding the examination” there shall be inserted “or as otherwise notified in writing by the Secretary of State”.

(3) After paragraph (2)(p), the word “or” shall be omitted.

(4) In paragraph (2)(q), for the words “applies to the vehicle.” there shall be substituted “applies to the vehicle; or” and the following sub–paragraph shall be inserted—

(r)an examiner is not able to open and examine recording equipment fitted to the vehicle in accordance with the Community Recording Equipment Regulation(4)..

Amendments to regulation 16 (fees for re-tests)

5.  In regulation 16(6)(c)(ii), the words “(except in so far as those items relate to rear markings)” shall be omitted.

Amendment of regulation 39(3)(b)(ii) (general provisions as to fees)

6.  In regulation 39(3)(b)(ii), for the words “the fee shall be reduced to £2.50 (the balance of any sum already paid in respect of the fee being refundable)” substitute “any sum paid by him in respect of such a previous application for an examination shall be returned”.

Amendment of paragraph 31 of Schedule 2 (classes of vehicle to which the Regulations do not apply)

7.  In paragraph 31(b)(ii) of Schedule 2, for the words “of less than 810 millimetres” substitute “of not more than 1100mm”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

David Jamieson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department for Transport

14th July 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1988 (“the 1988 Regulations”).

Regulation 3 makes extensive amendments relating to fees.

The fee payable on an application for a first examination or periodical test undergoes the changes shown in the Table below (with the percentage increase shown in brackets). However, where the appointment for such an examination or test is, at the applicant’s request, “out of hours”, the supplement to the normal fee is increased by 15.9% from £22 to £25.50 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 14.3% from £14 to £16 in the case of a trailer (regulation 12(4)). Where the vehicle testing station appointed for such an examination or test is, at the applicant’s request, not one provided by the Secretary of State, the supplement or, in the case which is “out of hours”, further supplement, is increased by 20% from £7.50 to £9 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 14.3% from £3.50 to £4.00 in the case of a trailer (regulation 12(4A)).

The fee for a re-test or further re-test within 14 days after the first examination or earlier re-test is increased by 14.6% from £20.50 to £23.50 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 13.6% from £11 to £12.50 in the case of a trailer (regulation 16(1)). The fee for a further re-test under regulation 16(3) is increased by 14.6% from £20.50 to £23.50 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 13.6% from £11 to £12.50 in the case of a trailer.

However, where the appointment for such a re-test is, at the applicant’s request “out of hours”, the supplement to the normal fee is increased by 13.6% from £11 to £12.50 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 14.3% from £7 to £8 in the case of a trailer (regulation 16(4)). Where the vehicle testing station appointed for such a re-test or further re-test is, at the applicant’s request, not one provided by the Secretary of State, the supplement or, in the case which is “out of hours”, further supplement, is increased by 22.2% from £4.50 to £5.50 in the case of a motor vehicle. There is no change in the case of a fee for a trailer which remains at £2 (regulation 16(4A)).

The fee for a re-test at the applicant’s request “out of hours ” under regulation 16(5) is increased by 13.3% from £22.50 to £25.50 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 14.3% from £14 to £16 in the case of a trailer.

The fee for a re-test where the vehicle testing station appointed for a re-test is, at the applicant’s request, not one provided by the Secretary of State, the fee payable under regulation 16(5A) is increased by 20% from £7.50 to £9 in the case of a motor vehicle and by 14.3% from £3.50 to £4 in the case of a trailer.

TABLE

Description of vehicleOld Fee (£)New Fee (£)
Motor vehicle with 2 axles4042 (5%)
Motor vehicles with 3 axles4248 (14.3%)
Motor vehicles with 4 or more axles4454 (22.7%)
Trailer with 1 axle2021 (5%)
Trailer with 2 axles2124 (14.3%)
Trailer with 3 or more axles2227 (22.7%)

The fee payable on a request for an amendment to a plating certificate following a notifiable alteration or for a re-examination where a particular in the certificate is or may be no longer applicable is increased by 13.3% from £15 to £17 (regulation 34(1)). However, where an appointment for a re-examination following a notifiable alteration or with a view to amendment of a plating certificate is, at the applicant’s request, “out of hours ”, the supplement to the normal fee is increased by 11.1% from £9 to £10 (regulation 34(2)). Where the vehicle testing station appointed for such a re-examination is, at the applicant’s request, not one provided by the Secretary of State, the supplement or, in the case which is “out of hours”, further supplement, is increased by 22.2% from £4.50 to £5.50 in the case of a motor vehicle. In the case of a trailer the fee remains unchanged at £2 (regulation 34(2A)).

The fee payable for the alteration of the plated weights (or any of the plated weights) for a vehicle without an examination is increased by 13.3% from £15 to £17 (regulation 37B(2)).

Where an applicant for an examination cannot or does not propose to proceed with the examination and gives the Secretary of State notice under regulation 39(3)(b)(ii) that no other examination of the same kind is required any sum paid by him in respect of such a previous application for an examination shall be returned.

Regulation 4 makes some changes to regulation 8 (conditions of acceptance of a vehicle). Regulation 8(2)(k) is amended so that notifications in writing from the Secretary of State other than the last notice of appointment preceding the examination are specified. Regulation 4 also inserts a new regulation 8(2)(r) to cover circumstances in which an examiner is not able to open and examine recording equipment relating to the vehicle.

Regulation 5 amends regulation 16(6)(c)(ii) to enable a re-test or rear markings to be carried out without the payment of a re-test fee.

Regulation 6 amends regulation 39(3)(b)(ii) of the 1988 Regulations by providing for the return to the applicant of any sum paid by him in respect of a specified previous application for an examination of the same kind.

Regulation 7 amends paragraph 31(b)(ii) of Schedule 2 (classes of vehicle to which the 1988 Regulations do not apply) by extending the exemption to vehicles which have an inside track width of not more than 1100mm whereas previously the exemption applied to vehicles which had an inside track width of less than 810 millimetres.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and copies can be obtained from the Department for Transport, Zone 2/05, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone number: 020–7944 2455). A copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament.

(1)

1988 c. 52. Sections 49 and 51 were amended by the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 41), Schedule 4, paragraph 54 and Schedule 8.

(2)

S.I. 1988/643, which was made under section 102 of the Finance (No.2) Act 1987 (c. 51). The relevant amending instrument is S.I. 1995/1684 and the relevant entry in Table III of Schedule 1 is item 3.

(3)

S.I. 1988/1478; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1989/1693, 1990/448, 1992/2447, 1993/2048 and 3013, 1997/82 and 263, 1998/1671, 2000/1433, 2001/1650 and 2002/487.

(4)

“Community Recording Equipment Regulation” is defined in section 85 of the Road Traffic Act 1988; the definition was inserted by S.I. 1996/941.