Q A bodybuilder recently claimed that •••• vehicles fitted with demountable
Page 36
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
bodies do not come within the requirements of the hgv testing scheme if the weight of the chassis alone is less than 30cwt. Is this supposition correct?
A This is not correct, because for the pur
pose of assessing whether or not a vehicle is subject to annual hgv testing the weight of the body must be included in the unladen weight of the vehicle. in the case quoted, the addition of the body would take the weight over 30cwt unladen and therefore bring the vehicle within the scope of hgv annual testing.
This provision is quite clearly stated in paragraph 255 of the Road Traffic Act 1960 as follows: "For the purposes of this Act, and of any other enactment relating to the use of motor vehicles on roads, the weights unladen of a vehicle shall be taken to be the weight of the vehicle inclusive of the body and all parts (the heavier being taken where alternative bodies or parts are used) which are necessary to or ordinarily used with the
vehicle when working on a road ."
For taxation purposes, however, special provisions have been made so that in the case of a vehicle using demountable bodies, only the weight of the chassis need be taken in order to assess the rate of duty payable.