Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Authorisation of Special Types) Notification

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Road Traffic Act

(CHAPTER 276, Section 5)

Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles,
Authorisation of Special Types)
Notification

N 1

REVISED EDITION 1990

(25th March 1992)

[1st January 1949]

Citation

1. This Notification may be cited as the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Authorisation of Special Types) Notification.

Definitions

2. In this Notification, unless the context otherwise requires —

“abnormal indivisible load” means a load which —

(a)	cannot without undue expense or risk of damage be divided into two or more loads for the purpose of conveyance on a road, and
(b)	cannot, owing to its dimensions or weight, be carried by a motor vehicle or trailer complying in all respects with the requirements of the Rules;

“engineering plant” means movable plant or equipment which does not comply in all respects with the requirements of the Rules, and which is either —

(a)	a motor vehicle or trailer specially designed and constructed for use in connection with engineering operations and which is only used on a road in proceeding to and from the site of such operations or when actually engaged in such operations and carrying no load other than its own necessary gear or equipment;
(b)	a trailer (including a tar boiler or road material mixing apparatus but excluding any other trailer used for the carriage of road material or similar burden), used for the purposes of, or a living van used in connection with, the construction, maintenance and repair of roads; or
(c)	a mobile crane which is only used on a road in proceeding from one place to another and not for the purpose of the lifting or transportation of goods or burden otherwise than when actually engaged in engineering operations;

“Rules” means the Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) Rules.

[R 9.]

Vehicles for conveyance of abnormal indivisible loads

3. The Minister has authorised the use on roads of motor vehicles and trailers specially designed and constructed, and used only, except as provided in paragraph 6, for, or empty in connection with, the conveyance of abnormal indivisible loads notwithstanding that such vehicles do not comply in all respects with the Rules, subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 and also to the conditions and following restrictions:

(a)

in the case of a motor vehicle all the Rules, other than rules 7, 10, 11, 42, 94 and 95, shall apply;

(b)

in the case of a trailer all the Rules, other than rules 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, (4), and (5), 42, 94 and 96, shall apply;

(c)

every such vehicle shall be a wheeled vehicle;

(d)

the overall width of any such motor vehicle shall not exceed 2.9 metres and the overall width of any such trailer shall not exceed 2.9 metres except where a greater width is necessary for the safe conveyance of the particular loads carried by that trailer;

(e)

(i)	every such motor vehicle shall be equipped with pneumatic tyres or tyres of soft or elastic material;
(ii)	all wheels of any such trailer not equipped with pneumatic tyres or tyres of soft or elastic material shall have a smooth tread of not less than 250 mm. in width in contact with the road surface and shall have the edges of such tread rounded to a radius of not less than 12 mm. and not more than 25 mm.;
	Provided that all wheels of any such trailer constructed after 1st January 1938, and as from 1st January 1949 all wheels of every such trailer, shall be fitted with pneumatic tyres or tyres of soft or elastic material;

(f)

the total weight transmitted to the road surface by any wheels not fitted with pneumatic tyres of any such motor vehicle or trailer in line transversely shall be such that the average weight per 25 millimetres width of tyre in contact with the road surface shall not exceed 30 kilograms;

(g)

every such motor vehicle or trailer with more than 4 wheels, and every such trailer having more than two wheels in contact with the ground being part of an articulated vehicle shall be provided with such compensating arrangement as will ensure that all the wheels will remain in contact with the road surface and under the most adverse conditions will not be subjected to abnormal variations of load; provided that this requirement shall not apply to any steerable wheel of a motor vehicle if the load on such wheel does not exceed 2½ tonnes;

(h)

every such vehicle shall be equipped with an efficient braking system the brakes of which act upon not less than half the total number of wheels of the vehicle and such brakes shall at all times while the vehicle is used on a road be maintained in good and efficient working order and shall be properly adjusted.

Engineering plant

4. The Minister has authorised the use on roads of engineering plant notwithstanding that such vehicles do not comply in all respects with the requirements of the Rules, subject to the conditions and restrictions in paragraphs 6 and 7 and also to the following conditions and restrictions:

(a)

every such vehicle shall be so constructed that it is either a wheeled vehicle or a track laying vehicle;

(b)

in the case of a wheeled motor vehicle rules 10, 16, 18(1), 24, 25, 30, 33, 34, 96, 99, 101, 104, 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111, 112, 115, 117 and 118 of the Rules shall apply;

(c)

in the case of a wheeled trailer rules 10, 96, 99, 104, 105 and 109 of the Rules shall apply;

(d)

in the case of a track laying motor vehicle rules 10, 16, 18(1), 24, 33, 34, 96, 99, 101, 104, 105, 117 and 118 of the Rules shall apply;

(e)

in the case of a track laying trailer rules 10, 96, 99, 104, 105, 109 and 115 of the Rules shall apply;

(f)

all wheels of any such vehicle which are not fitted with pneumatic tyres or tyres of soft or elastic material shall be smooth and have the edge rounded to a radius of not less than 12 mm. and not more than 25 mm.;

(g)

the total weight transmitted to the road surface by any wheels not fitted with pneumatic tyres of any such vehicle in line transversely shall be such that the average weight per 25 mm. width of tyre in contact with the road surface shall not exceed 30 kilograms;

(h)

every track laying vehicle shall be so constructed that —

(i)	the parts of the track which come into contact with the road surface are flat and have a minimum width of 12 mm.; and
(ii)	except in the case of a track laying road roller, the total area of each track actually in contact with the road surface at any one time is not less than 0.023 squaremetre in respect of each tonne of the total weight of the vehicle which is transmitted to the road surface by means of the tracks;

(i)

in the case of a motor vehicle which is not propelled by a reversible steam engine, an efficient brake shall be fitted, and such brake shall at all times while the vehicle is used on a road be maintained in good and efficient working order and shall be properly adjusted; and

(j)

in the case of a trailer which is not drawn by a locomotive, suitable scotches or other similar devices shall be provided so designed and constructed as to hold the vehicle stationary when necessary, unless an efficient brake is fitted.

Restriction on number of abnormal indivisible loads

5. No motor vehicle or motor vehicle and trailer shall carry more than one abnormal indivisible load at any one time:

Provided that if the weight transmitted to the road surface by the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle and trailer does not exceed the weights prescribed in the Rules it shall be permissible to carry more than one abnormal indivisible load of the same character or other articles of a similar character in addition to the abnormal indivisible load or loads.

Attendants

6.—(1) Where any vehicle, the use of which upon roads is authorised by this Notification, or the load carried by any vehicle so authorised, exceeds 2.9 metres in overall width, at least 4 persons inclusive of the driver or drivers shall be in attendance to attend the vehicle and load:

Provided that where any such vehicle is stationary on a road or is actually engaged in engineering operations and moves on a road only to the extent necessary for the efficient performance of such operations it shall be sufficient compliance with this paragraph if one person in addition to the driver or drivers is in attendance.

(2) Where any vehicle, the use of which upon roads is authorised by this Notification, or the load carried by any vehicle so authorised, exceeds 2.4 metres but does not exceed 2.9 metres in width at least one person in addition to the driver or drivers shall be in attendance to attend the vehicle and load.

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