Q We have a vehicle which weighs about 7 tons gross,
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which we use as a mobile classroom. It is taxed as private at the rate of £40 a year. Until now, we have had this vehicle tested annually at a garage, but when we presented it for testing as usual, this year, we were told that it would have to go to a heavy goods vehicle testing station. Does this mean that it should be plated and tested as a heavy goods vehicle?
A,t is unlikely that your vehicle comes within the scope of the Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) Regulations 1971. Under Regulation 4, in general, goods vehicles over 30cwt unladen should be plated and tested not more than 12 months after first use, and tested annually thereafter. A goods vehicle is a vehicle con
structed or adapted to carry goods or burden of any description.
Though it could be argued that your vehicle is constructed or adapted to carry burden in the shape of visual aids or other similar equipment, for instance, the fact that the Vehicle Licensing Centre at Swansea has agreed to tax it at the private rate refutes this argument. As a private vehicle it does not come under the Plating and Testing Regulations.
Further, paragraph 15 of the second schedule to the regulations exempts "Vehicles constructed or adapted for, and used primarily for the purpose of carrying equipment permanently fixed to the vehicle, which equipment is used for medical, dental, veterinary, health, educational, display or clerical purposes, such use not directly involving sale, hire or loan of goods from the vehicle." In this paragraph, no specific definition of "educational purposes" is given, and it could be that your vehicle fulfils the conditions for exemption.
Under the Motor Vehicles (Tests) Regulations 1976, which came into operation in January 1977, however, new testing standards were set for the annual testing of private vehicles. It could be that your garage is not now equipped to carry out the laid down tests on a vehicle of the size which you quote, and have therefore, referred you to an MOT Test Station.