The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

Maximum permitted wheel and axle weightsE+W+S

78.—(1) The weight transmitted to the road by one or more wheels of a vehicle as mentioned in an item in column 2 of the Table shall not exceed the maximum permitted weight specified in that item in column 3.

(2) The Parts of the Table have the following application—

(a)Part I applies to wheeled heavy motor cars, motor cars and trailers which comply with the relevant braking requirement and to wheeled agricultural motor vehicles, agricultural trailers and agricultural trailed appliances; items 1(b) and 2 also apply to buses;

(b)Part II applies to wheeled heavy motor cars, motor cars and trailers which do not fall in Part I;

(c)Part III applies to wheeled locomotives; and

(d)Part IV applies to track-laying vehicles.

PART I

(wheeled heavy motor cars, motor cars and trailers which comply with the relevant braking requirement and wheeled agricultural motor vehicles, agricultural trailers and agricultural trailed appliances; and, in respect of items 1(b) and 2, buses)

PART II

(wheeled heavy motor cars, motor cars and trailers not failing in Part I)

PART III

(wheeled locomotives)

PART IV

(track-laying vehicles)

(3) In the case of an articulated bus, or, subject to paragraph (4), of a bus first used before 1st April 1988, the laden weight, for the purposes of item 4 in the Table in regulation 75, and the weight transmitted to the road surface by wheels of the vehicle, for the purposes of items 1 and 2 of the Table in this regulation, shall be calculated with reference to the vehicle when it is complete and fully equipped for service with—

(a)a full supply of water, oil and fuel; and

(b)weights of 63.5 kg for each person (including crew)—

(i) for whom a seat is provided in the position in which he may be seated; and

(ii) who may by or under any enactment be carried standing, the total of such weights being reasonably distributed in the space in which such persons may be carried, save that in the case of a bus (not being an articulated bus) only the number of such persons exceeding 8 shall be taken into account.

(4) The weights for the purposes referred to in paragraph (3) may, in the case of a bus to which that paragraph applies, be calculated in accordance with paragraph (5) instead of paragraph (3).

(5) In the case of a bus first used on or after 1st April 1988, the weights for the purposes referred to in paragraph (3) shall be calculated with reference to the vehicle when it is complete and fully equipped for service with—

(a)a full supply of water, oil and fuel;

(b)a weight of 65 kg for each person (including crew)—

(i) for whom a seat is provided, in the position in which he may be seated; and

(ii) who may by or under any enactment be carried standing, the total of such weights being reasonably distributed in the space in which such persons may be so carried, save that in the case of a bus (not being an articulated bus) only the number of such persons exceeding 4 shall be taken into account;

(c)all luggage space within the vehicle but not within the passenger compartment loaded at the rate of 100 kg per m³ or 10 kg per person mentioned in sub-paragraph (b) above, whichever is the less; and

(d)any area of the roof of the vehicle constructed or adapted for the storage of luggage loaded with a uniformly distributed load at the rate of 75 kg per m².