July/Aug 2005

A landmark in the long drawn-out saga of the introduction of digital tachograph finally came on 5 August, when it became legal for British drivers operating under EU drivers' hours law to use them voluntarily as an alternative to conventional tachographs. Further legislation is expected to approve their use on operations falling under 'domestic' UK hours law.

Three days earlier, on 2 August, Greenhous Commercials in the West Midlands claimed to be have opened the first approved smartcard-based tachograph calibration centre in Britain. It is sponsored by tachograph supplier Siemens VDO, which says trucks are now passing through the centre as planned.

Legislation that came into force on 1 June sets the fee for a smartcard at £38 on first application for driver or company card. The rate for renewal or replacement of lost or stolen cards is £19.

The date for mandatory fitment of digital tachs in new vehicles was set by the EU's Council of Transport Ministers in June as 1 January 2006 - sooner than operators had earlier been led to expect - and the Freight Transport Association is saying it doubts whether the industry will be ready in time to meet this deadline.

 

However, according to a survey of truck manufacturers undertaken by the FTA in June, all the leading brands expected to be able to offer digital tachs in new trucks sold in Britain by August or September at the latest.

Equipment being used by Greenhous Commercials to calibrate the new instruments