New tachos lose time
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by Sally Nash • Electronic tachographs could be delayed for a year while the industry wrestles with a number of issues including the management of drivers hours information, warns Lucas Kienzle.
According to managing director Nick Rendell, the timetable for Tacho 2000 will probably be put back by a year from 1 July 2000 because a whole range of issues have yet to be thrashed out. These include the definititon for Type Approval and methods of testing the new tachograph. But Rendell is more concerned by the lack of a decision on who will manage and consolidate drivers' hours in
who will hold the records.
He predicts that most hauliers will have to set up drivers' hours databases: "It would be impractical to go to every truck a driver has driven to obtain details of his activities if his smart card were lost, damaged or faulty."
There has been talk of the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority or the Vehicle Inspectorate holding the data, but Rendell believes the Freight Transport Assocation might be a better option. "The downloading and operating side has not been covered by legislation and it clearly has to be resolved," he warns. Legislation for the framework directive, laying down the need for a new tachograph, is due for its second reading in the European Parliament. The proposal is expected to be accepted by the end of April; it will go to the UK Transport Council in June.
The technical specification is on course to be published this autumn, giving manufacturers two years to adapt their vehicle designs.
There are no plans for retrofitting but trucks registered after 1 January 1996 will have to be fitted with electronic systems as their conventional tachographs come up for renewal.
I I See feature in next week's CM.