New driving age limits
Page 4
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BOTH goods and passenger vehicle drivers will be affected by the Road Traffic (Drivers' Ages and Hours of Work) Bill which is being introduced in Parliament. This is an enabling measure designed to allow the Government to implement the European Economic Community requirements contained in Regulation 543/ .69, which refer to driving licences and EEC drivers' hours.
Coming into operation on January 1 are the provisions of Clause 1 of the Bill which brings the British driving licence regulations into line with EEC requirements. These are based on vehicle gross weight in contrast to the present British regulations which are based on unladen weight.
Briefly, a driver of 17 years of 'age will be able to drive vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes (3.44 tons) gross, drivers of 18 years of age will be able to drive vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes (7.38 tons) gross and for vehicles over that weight, drivers will have to be 21 years of age.
There is •no heavy goods vehicle driving licence in the other member countries of the EEC but Britain proposes to retain the present hgv driv:ng licence requirements. In that case, "heavy goods vehicles" will begin at 7.5 tonnes. Thus vehicles at present under 3 tons unladen but over 7.5 tonnes gross which can, at present, be driven without an hgv licence will require an hgv licence after January 1.
For passenger vehicle drivers, unless a psv or an hgv licence is held, a certificate of competence to drive vehicles which have seating capacity for nine passengers and over will be required. The driver will also have to be over 21 years of age.
The date on which •the new drivers' hours provisions will be implemented will depend on negotiations going on in Brussels; Dr Gilbert, the Minister for Transport, has sought a two-year deferment.
In preparation for the time when these regulations will have to be implemented, however, Clause 2 of the new Bill makes provision for the adaptation of Part VI of the Transport Act 1968 to remove, as far as possible, the overlap problems for those drivers whose duties fall within both the British and EEC codes. This could involve altering Part VI of the 1968 Act, Clause 2 also provides for the implementation and enforcement of the EEC regulations for goods and passenger vehicles.
Clause 3 deals with the place in which proceedings may be instituted against an offender and includes the place where the person charged was driving when the offence first came to light, the place where the person resides when proceedings commence, or the place where he normally operates.
Clause 4 provides for the Act to come into force on January 1 if the Bill is enacted by that date, except for Section 2 which is to wait for an appointed day.