MAXIMUM LENGTH OF BUSES AND COACHES
(21168)
7577/00
COM(00) 137
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Draft Directive amending Directive 96/53/EC laying down for certain
road vehicles circulating within the Community the maximum
authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the
maximum authorised weights in international traffic.
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| Legal base:
| Article 71 EC; co-decision; qualified majority voting
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| Document originated:
| 23 March 2000
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| Forwarded to the Council:
| 12 April 2000
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| Deposited in Parliament:
| 24 April 2000
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| Department: |
Environment, Transport and the Regions
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| Basis of consideration:
| EM of 11 May 2000
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| Previous Committee Report:
| None but see paragraph 14.1 below
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| To be discussed in Council:
| Late 2000 |
| Committee's assessment:
| Politically important
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| Committee's decision:
| Cleared |
Background
14.1 As a result of inability to agree on
a harmonised maximum length of 12 metres for all rigid motor vehicles,
Directive 96/53/EC provided that rigid buses[21]
up to 12 metres in length and articulated buses up to 18 metres
could circulate freely within the Community when undertaking international
transport. Some Member States allow rigid buses in excess of 12
metres and some up to 15 metres. Others, like the UK, have a 12
metre limit. This discourages inter-state bus travel and cabotage
arrangements in particular. On 8 July 1988 we reported[22]
on a Commission report on the use of buses up to 15 metres. That
report looked at commercial, technical, safety, environmental
and infrastructure considerations and put forward options for
consultation.
The document
14.2 In response to a Council request for
legislative action, the Commission has now proposed the adoption
of a maximum length of 15 metres for rigid buses and 18.75 metres
for buses and trailers. Buses longer than 12 metres will need
to have three or more axles so as to reduce any infrastructure
damage and assist safety. 15 metre buses will have to meet existing
technical requirements for turning applicable to 12 metre buses
and the outswing requirements for 18 metre articulated buses.
Transitional periods are proposed to allow the operation on their
own national territory of buses which do not meet the new requirements,
but to operate freely within the Community the requirements of
the Directive would have to be met.
The Government's view
14.3 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 11
May 2000, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty) supports
the proposal. He says that there should be little effect on road
infrastructure or on the safety of other road users, and that
there will be environmental benefits by using fewer vehicles to
transport similar numbers of passengers to those carried on existing
vehicles.
14.4 He says that the Commission expects
15 metre buses to be a niche market rather than the norm. Harmonisation
will particularly benefit those who already make or operate 15
metre buses because it creates a genuine single market for them.
He notes that the bus operators and manufacturers welcome the
proposals and all thought that this would pose no problems for
small operators or manufacturers. He says that there may be a
requirement for a small number of extra restrictions on the use
of longer vehicles but it is not possible to quantify any costs
from this. Local freedoms, for example to restrict vehicles by
size on certain roads, will not be affected.
Conclusion
14.5 We note the Government's support
for this proposal and we see the case for harmonisation in this
area. We believe the Commission may be proved mistaken in assuming
the 15 metre buses will be a niche market rather than the norm.
However, in the light of the Government's assurances about safety,
the environment and the infrastructure, we are content to clear
the document and have no questions to ask.
21 We use the term 'bus' in this report to include coaches.
This is in line with existing EC legislation which defines a
coach as a bus that does not provide for standing passengers. Back
22 (19187)
9122/98; see HC 155-xxxiii (1997-98), paragraph 7 (8 July 1998). Back
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