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If a rigid goods vehicle tows a draw-bar trailer is

24th March 1967, Page 63
24th March 1967
Page 63
Page 63, 24th March 1967 — If a rigid goods vehicle tows a draw-bar trailer is
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

an additional C-licence disc required and must it be carried on the vehicle or the trailer? And what are the corresponding requirements as regards articulated tractive units and spare semitrailers of a similar type?

AFirst it is necessary to refer to Section 191 of the Road Traffic Act 1960 which defines a "goods vehicleas a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use of the carriage of goods or a trailer so constructed or adapted. Resulting from this definition both trailers and vehicles must be included on a carrier's licence and correspondingly a carrier's licence disc must be issued for both. But it should be noted that this requirement is in connection with vehicles and trailers in use on the road which could be different from those actually owned.

For example, it is common practice for operators of articulated vehicles to have, say, 10 tractive units and 15 semi-trailers. As obviously, within such a fleet, only a maximum of 10 semi-trailers could be in use at any one time, there would therefore be no point in having more than 10 carrier's licence discs in respect of the semi-trailers.

Likewise, only 10 trailers need to be specified on the actual licence for the same reason. Although not such a common occurrence, the same reasoning will apply to any spare drawbar trailers for use with rigid vehicles.

As regards the actual positioning of the carrier's licences, these should be fitted to the rear side or adjacent to the excise licences.

It is therefore common practice to fit the additional carrier's licence disc in respect of the trailer alongside the disc on the towing vehicle so that whatever trailer to which the towing vehicle (whether tractive unit or rigid vehicle) is coupled, two discs will always be displayed. As the trailers are not identified by a registration mark or number of their own on the actual carrier's licence the trailer disc displayed on towing vehicles in respect of a trailer will not, therefore, be specifically identified with any one trailer, although it must not exceed the specified unladen weight.

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