change trade plate law -F
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CHANGES in the law on the use of trade plates, making it easier to recover broken-down vehicles and demonstrate new ones, have been proposed by the Freight Transport Association.
The FTA wants the regulations changed to take account of a High Court ruling, which allowed the definition of a recovery vehicle to include some vehicles not able to take a raised tow.
Inclusions would allow the carriage of parts for on the spot repairs; use of a low loader for recovery of bro ken-down vehicles or plant, and the carriage of parts from such a vehicle for repair.
It also wants the rules changed to take into account a Department of Transport assurance and a Crown Court ruling that operators using a low loader for that purpose could be classified as repairers, for trade licence uses.
Road testing by colleges and training establishments should also be allowed on trade plates, says the FTA. At present this is not allowed because vehicles are owned by the training authority. To help with the selling of new vehicles — especially tippers, dumpers and refuse vehicles — the FTA wants it made possible for demonstration loads to be taken from one place to another.
At present the load has to be returned to the place from which it was picked up.
Demonstration trailers coupled up to the tractive unit carrying trade plates should also be allowed, and plates should be displayed when fixed equipment is being carried for demonstration.