Calling All Minibus and Bus Operators

buzzwell · 15-08-2010 2:45am #1

To those of you who have had to have speed limiters retro fitted at considerable expense in the last couple of years in order to pass your VTN/DOE test, and which will have to be calibrated every year:

Ford Transit Minibuses registered between Oct 2001 and January 2005 are not (and were not) required to have speed limiters retro fitted to pass a DOE/VTN test.

Source-Correspondence to me from the European Commission; Road Transport, 2010.

(Other vehicles are also exempt eg. certain Iveco Daily, Renault Master models etc, ie those which do not meet Euro 3 emission standards)

SI 831, 2005 which is the relevant legislation which includes the exemption can be found here:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2005/en/si/0831.html

This is a technical/legal matter not an issue of whether minibuses "Should" have limiters fitted...............

buzzwell · 22-09-2010 9:58pm

VTN Centres or main dealers have charged anything up to 1000 euro to fit a limiter.

However, many vehicles in this category already have the limiter option built into the ECU and it is literally a 10 minute job using the FORD IDS system to activate it; Source: Ford Transit Technical Information.

If you paid a large sum to get one of these fitted or activated, consider the following:

A. The dealers/garages/VTN Centres already knew how to do this but decided to charge you a princely sum to fit an extra bit of wiring in the hope that you didnt know any better.

B. The dealers/garages/VTN Centres genuinely didnt know how to do it, so they were inept and wasted your money; the procedure has been included in their workshop manuals since 2002.

C. Both the RSA and the Department of Transport have been aware of the exemption for these and other makes of none Euro 3 engined Public Service Vehicles since 2008 but have deliberately ignored it.

D. It must also be noted that some dealers/garages/VTN Centres were aware of the correct procedure and did not charge for or fit unnecessary devices.

The list of exempt vehicles under EU law is available here:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/newsandevents/pressreleases/2006pressreleases/28-12-06speedlimiterlegislation.htm

In contrast, the RSA has issued a litany of circulars and clarifications relating to limiters, none of which mention the Euro 2 exemption:
http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2008/Circular%20RSA%20VI%2004-08.pdf

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2008/RSA%20VI%2004-08%20Notice.pdf

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2009/Speed%20Limiter%20Test%20Dates.pdf

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2009/Changes%20vehicles%20within%20scope%20speed%20limiter%20test.pdf

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2009/VI_13-09_Speedlimiter_Clarification.pdf

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2009/VI10-09SpeedlimiterTestingClarification.pdf

One that got away-
Check the dates and weights:
http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Vehicle%20Testing/Circulars%20for%20test%20centres/Circular%20VT/2008/2460_1_3_HGV%20Manual%20Page%2039%20Updated%2001-10-2008.pdf

buzzwell · 30-12-2010 10:26pm

Heres a link to the Tacho exemptions form from the RSA

http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Tachograph_Enf/Tachograph_Declaration_form.pdf

The exemption for Gross Vehicle weight less than 3.5T will cover a lot of vehicles alone.

The ambiguous wording on top of the form is in the usual "Plain English" style from the RSA:D:D

Plus, there is also an exemption from the oft required fitment of a "Fuel Cut Off Switch" already in place for Transits and Convoys, but you'll have to contact the RSA for that one directly.

Calling All Minibus and Bus Operators

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