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It's on the cards

26th October 2000
Page 37
Page 37, 26th October 2000 — It's on the cards
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

It's more than two years since CM first reported on digital tachos, and a lot has happened since then. For example, we've found out that the driver won't be the only one to ;save a smart card. In fact, there will be four types of card, including: • A Company card; • A Control card; • A Workshop card: • A Driver's c,ard.

Company card

• The company card gives the vehicle operator the right to access his driver hours data from the truck's massmemory, which stores a rolling 365 days' worth of data, anddownload it for analysis, in much the same way as he collects data now. It also allows the operator to lock data into the memory so when you sell a truck your information will not be available to a third-party.

Control card

• The control card will be issued to the Police and Vehicle Inspectorate to allow them to interrogate the vehicle unit and driver card and download data for enforcement purposes.

Workshop card

• But Needham predicts that the most powerful card will be the workshop card, "because ft allows you to re-calibrate the system and that's why it needs to be able to store a personal identifier.

"At the moment tacho centres have to be sponsored and approved, and I guess that will continue," he adds. "If somebody wanted to buy the test equipment somewhere abroad, in theory they could do it. But it would be useless without the workshop card and personal identifier. The card would also hold details of the workshop and the name of the card holder. And the Department of Transport would hold a list of these authorised workshop card holders—as they do today with approved tachograph technicians and sealers."

However, he warns: 'For a work

shop card, don't assume any fleet operator could get it. The calibration centre card is probably the better name for it because that's its main function."

Workshop cards would be valid for a year and the issuing authority (in this case the DVLA) would be responsible for granting cards to a workshop technician or an approved vehicle manufacturer or workshop.

While some hauliers are bound to grumble about the imposition of electronic tachos, Needham maintains that they will offer distinct advantages in the fight against rogue operators. "The old-style manipulation of tachograph 'Dil' switches will be a thing of the past." he points out.

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Organisations: Department of Transport

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