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New EU delay hits smart-card tachos
Page 6
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Another week — another tale of chaos over the introduction of digital
smart-card tachographs. Chris Tindall gets his head round the mess.
THE DATE FOR the compulsory fitting of digital tachographs has been plunged into confusion after the European Parliament's Transport Committee voted to delay the 5 August launch by another year.
This does not mean a delay is inevitable, but it has gone as far as a second reading. If the committee's decision is approved by the European Parliament in April, and by the Council of Transport Ministers inJune,digjtal tachos will only have to be fitted to vehicles manufactured after August 2006.
To add to the confusion, this moratorium could not become law until November at the earliest. This would lead to a three-month period during which the rules will require the fitment of digital tachos, but supplies will not be available to truck manufacturers.
"We need clarification pretty damn soon," says Volvo's legislation manager Ray Cattley. "We think a del ay is appropriate,there's so much to put in place before 5 August. There are no approved tachograph centres, no approved drafted manuals, no authorised technology training courses. The DfT and VOSA have been very helpful,but they are suffering from a lack of acknowledgement of how far reaching digital tachographs will be."
But Amanda Robertson at digital tachograph manufacturer Stoneridge Electronics says: "We are actually prepared for the introduction. The production line is ready and we expect to get type approval within the next month. As far as we are aware, 5 August [2005] is still the date that stands."
And a DfT spokesman plays down the Transport Committee's vote: "We expect to be able to facilitate the use of digital tachographs from August onwards. The systems are in place [but] we are slightly at the mercy of the European Parliament."
• Operators must pay £38 for every driver's smart card and a further 38 for their on company cards. If the regs go through Parliament smoothly cards will be issued from May. This follows a fee consultation that was completed on 17 February when the £38 charge was approved; replacement cards will cast £19.
For more details on digital tachographs see page 28.