§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. David Jamieson)I am announcing today that the Government will allow industry more time to introduce digital tachographs in the UK.
Most drivers of large commercial vehicles are subject to the EU drivers' hours rules. These rules are enforced using the tachograph. Under an EU Regulation the existing chart-based, or analogue, tachographs are due to replaced by digital tachographs.
The deadline for the introduction of the digital tachograph is 5 August 2004. This deadline cannot be met because no digital tachograph has yet been type approved. This is an EU-wide issue—all; member states are placed in a similar position.
The Government remains committed to the introduction of digital tachographs but after informal consultation with the industry I have decided that:
The UK will not enforce the fitting of digital tachographs to all new vehicles subject to the EU drivers' hours rules from August 2004.We will continue to work with the European Commission and other EU Member States to agree a new date for the fitting of digital tachographs to all new vehicles. This date is unlikely to be before June 2005.Between August 2004 and the new date, vehicles used within the scope of the EU drivers' hours rules must be fitted either with analogue tachographs or, when they become available, digital tachographs but the latter will not be compulsory until the new deadline.The DVLA, who will issue the four types of smart-card associated with digital tachographs, remain on-track to be able to issue cards in good time for the introduction of digital tachographs. A decision when to commence the issue of cards will be taken in the light of the availability of digital tachographs.