1. This Order may be cited as the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1987 and shall come into force on 1st January 1988.

2. The Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 1979(3) (hereinafter referred to as the "Principal Order") shall be further amended in accordance with the following provisions of this Order.

3. In the definition of "abnormal indivisible load" in article 3, for sub-paragraph (b)(ii) there shall be substituted the following-

"(ii)owing to its weight, cannot be carried by a heavy motor car or trailer or a combination of a heavy motor car and trailer having a total laden weight of not more than-

(A)prior to 1st October 1989, 32,520 kilograms, and

(B)on or after 1st October 1989, 38,000 kilograms,

and complying in all respects with the requirements of the Construction and Use Regulations;".

4. In article 18(2)-

(a)in sub-paragraph (k)(ii), at the beginning there shall be inserted the words "save as provided in sub-paragraph (iia) below";

(b)after sub-paragraph (k)(ii) there shall be inserted the following-

"(iia)until 1st October 1989 an articulated vehicle in Category 2 need not meet the requirements of sub-paragraph (ii) above, but-

(a)the total weight shall be transmitted to the road through at least 4 axles;

(b)the total weight imposed on the road by all the wheels of any one axle shall not exceed 13,500 kilograms, and by any one wheel 6,750 kilograms;

(c)if the total number of axles does not exceed 4, the total weight of the vehicle shall not exceed 46,000 kilograms;";

(c)in sub-paragraph (k)(iii)-

(i)at the beginning there shall be inserted the words "save as provided in sub-paragraph (iiia) below";

(ii)for the words "motor vehicle" there shall be substituted the word "vehicle";

(d)after sub-paragraph (k)(iii) there shall be inserted the following-

"(iiia)Zuntil 1st October 1989 a vehicle or combination of vehicles carrying the load in Category 3 need not meet the requirements of sub-paragraphs (c) to (f) of sub-paragraph (iii) above;";

(e)in sub-paragraph (p)-

(a)for the words "item 4" there shall be substituted the words "item 3";

(b)after "24" in item 1, "22" in item 2 and "24" in item 3 of the Table there shall be inserted "25";

(f)in item 2 of the Table in sub-paragraph (q), before "45" there shall be inserted "25" and for "75-80" there shall be substituted the words "75 in so far as it relates to items 1-4, 6-11, 15 and 16 of the Table, 76-80";

(g)in sub-paragraphs (q) and (r), for the words "after 1st October 1989" in each place where they occur there shall be substituted the words "on or after 1st October 1989"; and

(h)in sub-paragraph (s), for the words "after 1st October 1988" there shall be substituted the words "on or after 1st October 1988".

5. In sub-paragraph (a) of article 28(1), for the words "1st January 1988" in both places where they occur there shall be substituted the words "1st October 1989".

6.-(1) This article applies to an order made before 1st January 1988 under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1972(4) otherwise than by statutory instrument.

(2) Nothing in the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (Amendment) Order 1987(5) or this order shall affect the Principal Order as applied by an order such as is mentioned in paragraph (1) above.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Motor Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) General Order 1979, and is supplementary to the amendments made by the earlier amending Order S.I. 1987/1327.

The main purpose of the present amendments is to relax until the 1st October 1989 the restrictions under which heavy vehicles have to operate from 1st January 1988. Thus-

(a)article 3 amends the definition of "abnormal indivisible load";

(b)article 4 inserts new sub-paragraphs (iia) and (iiia) in article 18(2)(k) of the 1979 Order to relax the restrictions that would otherwise have had effect as from 1st January 1988;

(c)article 5 makes a consequential change to article 28(1)(a) of the 1979 Order.

In addition, sub-paragraphs (e) and (f) of article 4 exempt vehicles being used under article 18 of the 1979 Order from regulation 25 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (S.I. 1986/1078).

Sub-paragraph (f) of article 4 amends article 18(2)(q) of the 1979 Order to maintain the existing controls over the weight of locomotives. Sub-paragraph (g) amends sub-paragraphs (q) and (r) of article 18(2) so that the new requirements apply to vehicles manufactured on 1st October 1989 as well as after that date; and sub-paragraph (h) amends sub-paragraph (s) of article 18(2) so that the requirements apply to vehicles manufactured on 1st October 1988 as well as after that date.

Article 6 prevents the amendments made by the earlier 1987 Order and this Order affecting the 1979 Order as applied by specific orders made before 1st January 1988 under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 (c. 20).