Another tangled web
Page 7
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News reaches us this week that some operators are being threatened with prosecution because they have allegedly allowed drivers without heavy goods vehicle driving licences to drive vehicles over, 3 tons unladen but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes gross weight. Their confusion is understandable: to judge from the varying advice which they tell us they have received from various branches of the Department of the Environment in the past week or so, they are no more confused than the DoE itself on this tangled matter of driving licences and ages. It is well understood that Government departments avoid making statements which could be construed as interpretations of the law, but when the overlapping of EEC and British regulations creates such a confused situation, the industry should surely be able to turn to its own Ministry for reliable and comprehensible guidance.
Until the Government implements legislation to alter the weight limit for hgv driving licences—which it is expected to do in March, under the new Road Traffic Act—the 3-ton unladen limit remains valid. As explained in a news item on page 2, the changes in permitted driving ages under EEC legislation automatically took effect from January 1, but these do not directly affect the hgv licence situation. Prudent operators should continue to observe the hgv licensing legislation with which they are familiar until changes in the law are made.