The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2003

Made2nd February 2003

Laid before Parliament10th February 2003

Coming into force1st April 2003

The Secretary of State for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 41(1), (2) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act 19881 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 commencement1.

These Regulations may be cited as the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 1st April 2003.

Amendment to regulation 32.

In regulation 3 (interpretation) of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 19862, in the Table, sub-paragraph (j) of paragraph (i) of the meaning of the expression “overall length” shall be deleted.

Amendment to regulation 73.

In regulation 7 of those Regulations (length of vehicles), in the Table,

(a)

in item 2, column 3, the maximum length of 18.75 shall be substituted;

(b)

in item 4, column 2, the words “other than a bus” shall be added after the word “vehicle”;

(c)

items 2A, 4A and 4B shall be inserted at the appropriate place together with the description of the class of vehicle and maximum length specified in the table below.

TABLE

1	2	3
Item	Class of vehicle	Maximum length (metres)
	Vehicle Combinations
2A	A bus drawing a trailer	18.75
	Motor vehicles
4A	A bus with two axles	13.5
4B	A bus with more than two axles	15

Amendment to regulation 134.

(1)

In paragraph (3), sub-paragraph (a) of regulation 13 of those Regulations (turning circle - buses), shall be inserted the words “of 12m or less in overall length”, after the word “vehicle”;

(2)

In sub-paragraph (b) of that paragraph, after the word“is” shall be inserted the words “a rigid bus of over 12m in overall length or”.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

David Jamieson

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,

Department for Transport

2nd February 2003

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 in order to implement the provisions of European Parliament and Council Directive 2002/7, amending Council Directive 96/53/EC, and laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the community the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic.

In particular, the maximum length of a bus with two axles, an articulated bus, and a bus with more than two axles, have each been increased in accordance with Article 1.7 of Directive 2002/7. Consequential amendments to the turning circle requirements of buses in regulation 13 of the 1986 regulations have also been made to take account of these changes.

A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared and copies of it may be obtained from the Department for Transport, Zone 2/01, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DR (telephone: 020 7944-2065). Copies are being placed in the libraries of each House of Parliament.

No separate transposition note has been provided since all the relevant information is contained within this Explanatory Note.

Copies of the relevant EC Directives can be obtained from the Stationery Office.