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As part of its continued effort to improve driver safety, the Department for Transport (DfT) will revise which heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) will be able to retain their plating and testing exemption.
Beginning on 20 May 2018, based upon their chassis, certain HGVs will have to complete roadworthiness testing. If you own or operate an HGV, it is essential that you review the forthcoming changes to stay compliant. Otherwise, you could face fines and penalties.
The Affected HGVs
The DfT will implement a phased approach for the affected HGVs, which will help businesses spread out their tests. However, all vehicles will require a goods vehicle testing certificate before their vehicle excise duty (VED) renewal date between 20 May 2018 and 20 May 2019.
- The following categories of HGVs will be affected:
- Mobile cranes
- Breakdown vehicles
- Engineering plant and movable plant or equipment, which is a motor vehicle or trailer
- Trailers, which are drying or mixing plant, that produce asphalt, bituminous or tarmacadam
- Tower wagons
- Road construction vehicles (excluding road rollers and other specialised equipment not based on an HGV chassis)
- Electrically propelled motor vehicles first registered on or after 1 March 2015
- Tractor units pulling exempt trailers
- Motor tractors and heavy and light locomotives, which were previously exempt under Sections 185 and 186(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988
- HGVs and trailers on the Isle of Bute
- HGVs and trailers on Arran, Great Cumbrae, Islay, Mull, Tiree or North Uist, which are used on mainland Great Britain
How Your Organisation Needs to Comply
- The DfT’s phased approach is only for HGVs that meet the following criteria:
- Are not in the list of excluded vehicle types
- Were first registered before 20 May 2017
- Are currently exempt from statutory roadworthiness testing, but beginning on 20 May 2018, will be subject to testing
- The following HGVs are exempt:
- Motor vehicles to be used in international traffic
- Mobile concrete batching plant (also known as volumetric concrete mixers)
- Newly-in-scope tractors
- Trailers, all types
- All eligible HGVs must meet the following:
- A valid goods vehicle testing certificate must be held at the time of the vehicle’s first VED renewal date after 19 May 2018. Vehicles without a goods vehicle testing certificate must provide record of the most recent safety inspection conducted by a technically competent and operationally aware inspector.
- The safety inspection must be conducted in line with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s published guidance.
- Vehicles must be roadworthy at all times.