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Govt type approval
Page 5
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A NATIONAL type approval scheme for commercial vehicles is moving closer, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher revealed in Birmingham last week.
She told the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders that the Government is to look urgently at the possibility of introducing such a scheme — seen by many as a subtle form of import control — and Transport Minister Norman Fowler is to act quickly.
Mr Fowler will send out a discussion document to all British manufacturers, seeking their views on how the scheme might operate, before preparing draft regulations for formal comment.
As planned, the type approval scheme will affect all types of goods vehicle,. from three-wheelers upwards, but not trailers. And in view of the complexity of type approval for commercials, it will not include bodywork where that is added at a second or later stage of manufacture.
According to the Department of Transport, the scheme is unlikely to take effect until about a year after the regulations are made, as manufacturers will need time to get the necessary approvals.
The Government's decision has pleased Leyland Vehicles, which has been pressing for the scheme to be introduced to counteract similar plans operated by most European manufacturers.
It draws particular attention to the Terrier having taken 18 months to gain type approval in France, whereas the equivalent Renault J-range was passed for British use in a very much shorter time.