Mandatory Fitting of Digital Tachographs

21 April 2006

Minister for Transport Stephen Ladyman today welcomed the news that the date for the mandatory fitting and use digital tachographs has been established. This means that all large commercial vehicles that first enter service from 1st May 2006 will have to fit and use the new technology.

Digital tachographs will record drivers' activities electronically and store them in digital memory rather than on paper. These records are used to enforce European drivers' hours rules. The drivers' hours rules limit the length of time for which many commercial drivers can drive and require them to observe minimum rest and break periods.

Stephen Ladyman said:

"The end to the uncertainty about the date for the mandatory fitting of digital tachographs is good news for the industry. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders to help ensure as far as possible that there is a smooth transition to this new technology."

Notes to Editors

1. The new, directly applicable, EU Regulation on drivers' hours was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 11th April 2006 (Regulation (EC) No.561/2006). The new Regulation will apply equally in all 25 EU Member States.

2. Most of the provisions of the Regulation will come into force a year after publication. However, certain provisions relating to digital tachographs will come into force 20 days after publication - i.e. on 1st May 2006. In particular digital tachographs must be fitted to any in-scope vehicle that first enters service from that date. In addition, the following tachograph-related requirements will come into force throughout the EU on 1st May 2006:

  • data from digital tachograph vehicle units and associated driver cards must be regularly downloaded (the frequency of downloading is left to individual Member States - the Department will invite industry to comment on this in due course);
  • drivers using digital tachographs must make manual entries in certain situations;
  • drivers must make print-outs at the start and end of their journey in situations when their driver card has been lost or stolen;
  • drivers will need to be able to produce records of drivers' hours for the current week and those record sheets used in the previous 15 days.

3. Council Regulation (EC) No 2135/98 first mandated the fitting of digital tachographs to new in-scope vehicles - originally with effect from August 2004, but manufacturers were unable to produce digital tachographs by that date. This led to uncertainty about implementation dates, however, arrangements to support the voluntary use of digital tachographs in GB have been in place since August 2005 (and similar arrangements for the use of digital tachographs in Northern Ireland will be made shortly),

4. Proposals for a new EU Regulation on drivers' hours included an updated (i.e. more realistic) mandatory fitting date for digital tachographs. However the Council and the European Parliament were unable to agree these proposals which were therefore subject to formal conciliation.

5. The conciliation committee met on 6th December 2005. Amongst other things, it was agreed that the use of digital tachographs should become mandatory in any in-scope vehicles put into service for the first time from a date 20 days after formal publication of the new EU Regulation on drivers' hours. The new EU regulation on drivers hours was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 11th April 2006 - consequently, operators and drivers will need to be ready to use digital tachographs in new HGVs and PSVs from 1st May 2006.

6. The department for Transport has today made domestic Regulations to help ensure that the pan-EU mandatory date for fitting digital tachographs to new vehicles can be enforced in this country. The Passenger and Goods Vehicle (Recording Equipment) (Fitting Date) Regulations 2006 - SI 2006 No. 1117 - will come into force on 1st May 2006.

7. The "smart cards" that drivers require in order to be able to use digital tachographs can be obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for £38 and are valid for 5 years. DVLA aim to turn applications around within 15 days.

8. The drivers' hours rules (and therefore, the use of tachographs) are enforced in Great Britain by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and by the police - primarily through roadside checks.

9. Further information on digital tachographs can be found at www.digitaltachograph.gov.uk