I All the dealers in used buses and coaches to
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whom I have spoken have I me that I may drive such vehicles my ordinary driving licence provided I It privately. Indeed, public authorities operate coaches on the "private" basis £25 per year and ordinary licence. I a coach which I am converting to a rvan and anticipate no difficulties. I hold a psv licence which I use to e single-deck coaches of any length. re of these go up to 8+ tons unladen lit and to 36ft or more in length. Yet derstand that I am restricted to under ns unladen weight with goods vehicles. his is really so, does it not seem nalous that I may drive one vehicle Ii has the same engine and other ranics and almost the same chassis as frer which I may not drive, and that atter merely carries goods whereas I have up to 51 people on the other? Finally, what licence do I need to drive an articulated unit, le tractor only, to draw an ordinary caravan, a substantial part of the weight of which would not fall on the tractor, assuming unladen weight of 3 tons plus? I am seriously contemplating such an arrangement and going into questions of ballast and suspension. I am proposing to have some sort of body built on to the chassis and wonder whether a caravan shell superimposed on the chassis would make it a different vehicle as to licence from that produced by adding a lorry-back with canvas hood. The power and manoeuvrability provided by an artic tractive unit are very attractive features while the fuel economy would compare well with more orthodox tugs.
The common sense aspect of this seems obvious to me, but what does the law say?
A Section 144 of the Road Traffic Act
1960 states "a person shall not drive, or act as the conductor of a public service vehicle on a road unless he is licensed for the purpose under this section . . ." Section 117 of the Act defines a public service vehicle as "a motor vehicle used for carrying passengers for hire and reward which is either (a) carrying passengers at separate fares or, (b) is not carrying passengers at separate fare but is adapted to carry eight or more passengers."
From this it can be seen that if a motor vehicle is not carrying passengers for hire and reward it is not considered to be a public service vehicle. A psv driving licence is not, therefore, required.
Although you possess a psv driving licence this no longer entitles you to drive heavy goods vehicles. Some psv licences are still current which include a note to the effect that the holder can drive heavy goods vehicles. This no longer applies; a psv licence cannot be used for that purpose. The note is being omitted from all new psv driving licences. It might seem anomalous but that is the law.
The Heavy Goods Vehicles (Drivers' Licences) Regulations 1969, Statutory Instrument 1969 no. 903, defines an articulated vehicle as "a motor car or heavy motor car, as defined in section 253(2) and (3) of the Road Traffic Act 1960, so constructed that a trailer may by partial superimposition be attached thereto in such a manner so to cause a substantial part of the weight of the trailer to be borne
thereby and which has a trailer so attached."
The appropriate hgv licence required to drive a vehicle combination which you have described depends, therefore, on the way in which the "trailer" is attached to the tractive unit. It is not apparent which kind of a "hitch" you propose to use.
Again, "a substantial part of the weight of a trailer" is not defined so that if the trailer was partially superimposed it would be a matter of opinion, as to whether a substantial part of the weight was borne by the tractive unit.
Assuming that a safe method of attaching the trailer to the tractive unit is possible, it would, in our opinion, in order for you to drive the outfit which you have described, be necessary for you to hold at least a Class 2 hgv licence. This entitles the holder to drive an hgv, not fitted with automatic transmission, other than an articulated vehicle, designed and constructed to have more than four wheels in contact with the road surface. If the tractive unit is fitted with automatic transmission then a class 2A would be appropriate.
So much depends upon the way in which the trailer is attached, however. It would be wise to consult the local Licensing Authority for guidance if you were to adapt a tractor and caravan in the way you have described.