Red rules
Page 45
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Using a vehicle on a road with reba fuel (red diesel) is a serious mat Customs and Excise have the pov to seize the vehicle: they can keep it agree to release it only on payment o penalty which would be an addition any fine.
Great care must therefore be taken ensure that only authorised vehicles use r diesel. The rules governing this w( changed by the 1995 Finance Act. The m important change was the abolishing of "six miles a week" exemption. Prior to 1995 if a vehicle covered I, than six miles a week on a public road r diesel could legally be used during the pc od on a public road. That category has been abolished and the principal exerT tions are as follows: • Vehicles not used on the public road a not licensed for road use; • Gritters and snow ploughs; • Agricultural, horticultural and fares vehicles only used on public roads to pc between different working areas occupi by the same person where the distance dc not exceed 1.5km;
• Works trucks (vehicles designed for t. on private premises and used on pub roads for certain specified purposes in t immediate vicinity of those premises);
• Road construction vehicles which c made only to carry built-in road constri tion machinery; • Certain specified machines, includil road rollers, mowing machines, mob cranes and digging machines; • Agricultural tractors used for certc specified agricultural purposes or incapak of exceeding 25mph on a level road. If a vehicle is used partly for a qualifyii reason and partly for another reason it m, not use red diesel.
There is a popular belief in the indust that vehicles may be used on public roa with red diesel provided they are in ti vicinity of a site. This is not a permitted u for a normal HGV which is designed for u on the road. If you have a tipper workii on-site you must not use it on the road wi red diesel for any reason, even if you are working in the vicinity of the site.
_J by Stephen Kirkbright