1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194 
Not-so-smart cards
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Under EU regulations, it was envisaged that from 5 August this year every new CV entering service would be fitted with a high-tech tacho that is said to be tamper-proof and will help with the control of drivers' hours. But a more likely launch date is August 2005 the 12-month delay is due to delays in approving the equipment. Operators who planned to replenish their fleets on or after the planned start date faced an agonising problem until, in the middle of last week, the EC bowed to pressure and announced that a new consultation process of all interested parties will begin this month to agree a realistic date for "the obligation to equip newly registered vehicles". More pressingly. the consultation will seek to find a way to avoid problems for international drivers from 5 August 2004.
As things stand, member states whose systems are ready may go ahead anyway from that date. The consultation will also decide a new date by which all member states must implement the equipment.
The EC has taken these steps because of pressure from member states, the European Parliament and industry, all of whom believe the date of 5 August 2004 is not feasible for technical and organisational reasons.
The UK's Department for Transport shares this view. A spokeswoman says: "The government recognises the existing timetable is unrealistic. We are currently in dialogue with the EC to determine a way forward."
At the end of January, Actia UK-one of the three digital tachograph suppliersbecame the first to be type approved for "interoperabil it was granted a provisional certificate sta that its recording equipment is compatible the necessary tachograph card. It had alrc received two other necessary certificates cc ing security and functionality There follo: four-month period during which other I114 facturers have to submit their devices anc the laboratory testing the equipment to cor with manufacturers to resolve any problen Paul Kay,MD of Actia UK,says:"We are ha to supply digital tachographs that meet legisla whenever there is the demand for them. We I been working with most vehicle manufactt on integrating our product into their vehic But full type approval is at least four months a and truck manufacturers have repeatedly stet will take them at least a year to organise supi fit the new tachographs and carry out dealer operator training. On that basis, EU consulta permitting, the most likely introduction o be anywhere between May and November year...watch this space. •