Support shown for introduction of goods vehicles and engineering plant to O-licensing scheme

Plans to bring an estimated 40,000 goods vehicles and engineering plant into the O-licensing regime, as well as introduce the requirement for them to pass an annual roadworthiness test, by removing current exemptions have received support.?

The results of a DfT consultation that ran between December and March this year showed that 78% of 70 respondents supported the idea of closing the loophole that exempts 10 vehicle categories from an annual test.

Among those covered by the exemption are mobile cranes, recovery vehicles, certain types of engineering plant, and volumetric mixers.

Many respondents suggested that any vehicle based on an HGV chassis and used on a public road should be tested, saying this would improve road safety and remove ambiguity for both enforcement agencies and vehicle operators.

However, 57% believed that certain vehicles may need special testing arrangements.

DVSA expressed concerns about vehicles that are very wide or have low or high ground clearances, which may not be able to access some of its existing authorised testing facilities (ATFs).

The consultation also asked whether such vehicles should still be exempt from plating requirements, to which the DVSA said it did not believe it had the resource to issue plating documentation to the estimated 40,000 vehicles currently covered by the exemptions at the same time.

A separate consultation that ran during the same period, which asked whether such vehicles should also be bought into the O-licensing regime, identified concerns about operators of non-regulated vehicles competingin the same market as those that have to comply with the legislation.

Despite the majority of respondents supporting the idea, those operating in certain industries such as the recovery sector, wanted to keep the exemption they currently have from operator licensing.

The DfT said that intends to undertake further studies into the impact it would have on those in the recovery sector and for mobile crane operators before making a decision.

The DfT intends to decide if any changes will be made to current exemptions in late 2015.

It said there will be a separate consultation covering agricultural tractors, although no date has been set.?