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)e IT Day? COMMERCIAL vehicle operators will finally know the "T" Day secret — the deadline for the introduction of tachographs in Britain — after the EEC Council of Transport Ministers meet in Brussels late next week.
But while the bargaining is still to come in the Belgian capital all the signs point to a six months' "stay of execution."
At the moment Britain is due to apply the EEC tacho laws on January 1, But Minister for Transport, Dr John Gilbert, has already made it clear to the Commission that this date cannot possibly be met.
He has not asked for a deferment but has said that it is not practicable at this stage to introduce implementing legislation for compulsory national use. However, Dr Gilbert has accepted that the eventual compliance with the tacho rules is "inescapable."
And this week he cleared the decks for action when he gave the go-ahead for the setting up of fitting calibration and servicing centres for tachographs when he met the instrument manufacturers.
The Department of Environment hopes to authorise about 100 such centres by March in consultation with the road haulage industry. It is clear from this that th EEC Council of Ministers i not expected by the British t grant as long a deferment – two years has been the mo: talked about possibility — a was originally hoped.
What then can be expecte from next week's meeting? is unlikely that EEC hardliner will demand that the UK met the January 1 deadline.
This would involve takin the UK to the European Cour at The Hague for non-impIe mentation, a long enough pro cess in itself and a move tha would do little to bring abou a speedy enforcement of th tacho law.
That leaves six months a; the most likely defermen period. Six months because tha was the amount of extra timi granted to Italy when they har a similar problem. And sh months because that will bo a year since the Britisl referendum on Common Mar ket entry.
This would make June 1 flex Britain's "T" Day. Though on13 :v, among passenger vehicles, ill need to be fitted with chographs for operation with the United Kingdom, the strument will be required for 1 passenger vehicles for Conrental journeys, (EEC Regutions 543/69 and 1463/70 )ecify " passenger " vehicle ithout further distinction.) The Confederation of Bri;h Road Passenger Transport is advised its members, in its ovember newsletter, to take action about fitting tacho • aphs till a clear decision has ?.en taken.
As CM conducted a survey is week it became apparent at different vehicle manufac turers were adopting different procedures on •tacho fitting. Ford fit tachographs on new passenger vehicles as original equipment unless the customer specifies a speedometer on his own initiative. Both Bedford and British Leyland, however, ask the customer to choose between the two instruments when ordering.
The cost of fitting as o/e is quoted as just over C100 while the cost of retrospective fitting can be well in excess of double that sum. This is the position on present-day prices; later retrospective fitting, taking into account inflation, could he much more expensive.