PART IPRELIMINARY
Interpretation: general2
1
In these Regulations the following expressions shall have the following meanings—
“the Act” means the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994;
“agricultural machine” means a vehicle which is—
- a
an agricultural tractor, as defined in paragraph 4B(2) of Schedule 1 to the Act2, or
- b
an off-road tractor, as defined in paragraph 4B(4) of that Schedule, or
- c
a light agricultural vehicle, as defined in paragraph 4C(2) of that Schedule, or
- d
an agricultural engine, or
- e
a mowing machine;
- a
“the Council Regulation” means Council Regulation (EC) No. 2411/983 on the recognition in intra-community traffic of the distinguishing signs of member states in which motor vehicles are registered;
“dual purpose plate” means a plate or other device which displays both the registration mark of the vehicle and the international distinguishing sign of the United Kingdom in accordance with the Council Regulation;
“EEA State” means a state which is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May 1992 as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993;
“motor cycle” means a vehicle having 2 wheels and includes a vehicle of that description in combination with a sidecar;
“motor tricycle” means a vehicle having 3 wheels symmetrically arranged;
“quadricycle” means a vehicle having four wheels, a maximum net engine power not exceeding 15 kilowatts and an unladen mass (excluding the mass of batteries in the case of an electrically-powered vehicle) not exceeding—
- a
550 kilograms in the case of a goods vehicle, and
- b
400 kilograms in any other case;
- a
“registration plate” means a plate or other device displaying the registration mark of the vehicle and in the case of a dual purpose plate means such part of the plate as is not intended for the display the international distinguishing sign of the United Kingdom in accordance with the Council Regulation;
“prescribed font” means the style shown in Schedule 4 for a character of the height specified in that Schedule;
“relevant date” means—
- a
in Great Britain, 1st October 1938, and
- b
in Northern Ireland, 1st January 1948;
- a
“works truck” means a vehicle which is—
- a
designed for use in private premises, and
- b
used on public roads only—
- i
for carrying goods between private premises and a vehicle on a road in the immediate vicinity, or
- ii
in passing from one part of private premises to another or between private premises and other private premises in the immediate vicinity, or
- iii
in connection with road works at or in the immediate vicinity of the site of the works.
- i
- a
2
Unless the context otherwise requires, a reference in these Regulations to—
a
a registration plate fixed or to be fixed to a vehicle, or
b
a registration mark displayed or to be displayed on a plate,
is to be construed, where the vehicle is towing a trailer, so as to include a reference to the registration plate which is required under these Regulations to be fixed to the trailer or a reference to the mark displayed on the plate fixed to that trailer.