18.01.2006

Digital tachographs finally

Jacques Barrot the EU transport commissioner has written to all EU transport ministers to say that the Commission accepts May 2006 as the deadline for the mandatory introduction of digital tachographs for ‘in scope’ vehicles.

The rules generally apply to all vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW, including trailer and towing vehicle combinations.

In his letter, Barrot says that the Commission had wanted digital tachs fitted to all newly registered vehicles from January first this year.

However, as the European Parliament and Council did not agree to the final changes to Regulation EEC 3820/85, which covers digital tachographs until December, the Commission had no choice but to accept a delay while it was published and formalised.

Effectively this means that analogue tachographs can still be fitted to new vehicles until 20 days after the new standard is published in the Official Journal of the European Union, most likely sometime in May.

Companies with new trucks on order need to be aware of the dates if the vehicle they are buying is no already specified with a digital tachometer. After the implementation date it will not be possible to register the vehicle without it. The cost to retrofit is likely to be over £1,000.

The other side of this, one which held up implementation is that drivers need to obtain cards for the tachographs from the Ministry for transport..