§ Mr. StevensTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish regulations requiring heavy goods vehicles to be fitted with speed limiters; and when he will announce firm proposals for speed limiters to be fitted to existing vehicles.
§ Mr. ChopeI have signed regulations today that require that speed limiters must be fitted to all new heavy goods vehicles of over 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight as from 1 August 1992.
Consultations are also beginning on draft regulations that will require speed limiters to be fitted to certain classes of existing heavy goods vehicles first used after 1 August 1988. The regulations will apply to all vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight in excess of 16 tonnes, and, additionally in the case of rigid-bodied vehicles, where the gross train weight is more than 5 tonnes greater than the gross vehicle weight.
The regulations for new vehicles give vehicle manufacturers and operators plenty of notice of the change; and I expect that regulations for vehicles that are already on the road will be laid before the House shortly.