HC Deb 29 April 1964 vol 694 c65W
Sir W. Bromley-Davenport

asked the Minister of Transport when he will bring in a scheme for testing commercial vehicles on the same lines as the present test for private cars.

Mr. Galbraith

The vehicle testing scheme now in operation applies to goods vehicles with an unladen weight of up to and including 1½ tons. More than half the goods vehicles in this country are in that category.

The testing of the heavier types of goods vehicles gives rise to special problems, and it cannot be done just by applying the existing Regulations to them. We are making plans for an effective new scheme, which we intend to introduce as soon as possible, though I cannot yet say when this will be.

Meanwhile a large number of roadside inspections of heavy goods vehicles are already carried out by the Ministry's technical officers who last year issued over 32,000 notices prohibiting the further use of vehicles until they had been adequately repaired. This work will continue and be intensified.