Q We are considering purchasing a van or bus for conversion
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to a product demonstration vehicle. The only "goods" carried would be display boards and products which form part of the demonstration material.
If the unladen weight is over 3 tons would an hgv licence be required to be held by the driver?
A Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 states, briefly, that it shall be an offence for a person to drive a heavy goods
vehicle on a road if he is not licensed to drive an hgv of that class. Moreover, the Act makes it an offence to employ another person to drive an hgv if he is not licensed to do so.
Section 124 of the Act defines a heavy goods vehicle as a vehicle constructed or adapted for hauling or carrying goods or burden of any kind and among the classes so defined is a motor car. Section 190(2) defines a motor car, briefly, as a mechanically propelled vehicle which is itself constructed to carry a load or passengers and the weight of which unladen exceeds 3 tons.
Whichever vehicle you chose it will be constructed or adapted to carry goods or burden and will weigh over 3 tons unladen. Therefore the driver will need a heavy goods vehicle driving licence.