Guidance

Car transporting in Great Britain: general guidance for operators on the peak period exemption from EU cabotage rules

Published 12 August 2013

Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) operated from other EU member states are subject to restrictions on their use in Great Britain. Starting from 25th August 2013 to 30 September, these cabotage restrictions will be temporarily relaxed for car transporters (HGVs that carry only cars and vans) during 2 short periods around March and September every year, when new registration numbers become available and demand is very high.

The usual cabotage restrictions limit all EU-operated goods vehicles to no more than 3 loaded GB domestic operations within 7 days from the vehicle’s laden international arrival in GB. But the government has announced that these restrictions will be relaxed for EU operated car transporters carrying only complete cars and vans. Between 22 February to 31 March and 25 August to 30 September each year, there will be no requirement for the vehicle to enter the UK on a laden international journey, and no limits on the number of domestic operations that may be undertaken in GB.

Normal cabotage restrictions still apply outside these periods to the use of all goods vehicles, including EU operated car transporters in GB, and the users and operators of EU operated car transporters must comply with all other regulatory requirements at all times. A copy of a valid Community licence must be carried on the vehicle, and the vehicle must be driven in accordance with all drivers’ hours requirements. If the driver of the vehicle is a national of a country which is not an EU Member State, they must hold a driver attestation. Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1072/2009 provides additional details on all requirements that need to be fulfilled by operators for a vehicle to be compliant with the rules.

If the car transporters carry any goods other than cars and vans at any time in the period the relaxation will not apply and will need to comply in full with the usual cabotage rules.

These changes have been made to allow for the relaxation to apply for the peak period carriage of cars and vans from 25 August 2013.

To assist operators we provide a number of examples on the following pages of circumstances that may arise. This is not every permutation, so if further clarification is needed please contact Francis Liston by email: [email protected].

Notes and examples

Note 1

If an EU-operated car transporter arrives in GB prior to one of the relaxation periods it may be used to carry out up to 3 cabotage operations within 7 days following the last unloading of an international operation as usual. The vehicle can stay in GB until the start of the relaxation period and can then continue to undertake unlimited cabotage operations during the relaxation period without leaving GB.

Example 1

An EU-operated car transporter enters GB on 17 August with an international load. Following unloading the vehicle carries out 3 domestic operations (cabotage) up to and including 24 August (there are no restrictions on the type of load carried at this time). The vehicle remains in GB and from 25 August (the start of the relaxation period) the vehicle carries out domestic operations (cabotage) within GB carrying only cars and vans until the end of the relaxation period. This is permitted.

Note 2

An EU-operated vehicle may exit GB and return within the relaxation period, with or without international loads, or may stay in GB for the whole or any section of the relaxation period.

Example 2

The above vehicle also exits GB and returns a couple of times during the relaxation period with and without international loads. The vehicle’s last entry back into GB during the period of relaxation is 21 September after which it continues to move only cars and vans until it leaves GB on 30 September (the last day of relaxation). This is permitted.

Note 3

The 7-day period for lawful cabotage operations may not be split to cover periods before and after the relaxation period since EU Regulation 1072/2009 requires that the 3 domestic operations are completed within 7 days from the day of unloading on the initial laden international journey into the UK.

Example 3

An EU-operated car transporter enters GB on 28 September (within the relaxation period). The vehicle carries out two domestic (cabotage) operations moving cars and vans by 30 September (the last day of relaxation). It then does one further operation on 1 October before the vehicle leaves GB. This is permitted.

Note 4

All usual journey and time limits apply as soon as the relaxation period ends. An EU-operated vehicle that conducts cabotage operations in excess of the EU cabotage rules must leave the UK at the end of the relaxation period before it may return to conduct cabotage operations under the usual EU cabotage rules.

Example 4

Like example 3, a car transporter enters GB on 28 September. The vehicle carries out 4 domestic cabotage operations moving cars and vans by 30 September (the last 3 7 August 2013 day of relaxation). This is permitted. It then does one further operation on 1 October before the vehicle leaves GB. This last movement is not permitted as on the 1 October the vehicle has exceeded the maximum number of domestic operations permitted by the rules even though the car transporter is still within the 7-day limit from arrival.

Note 5

Car transporters that enter the UK in the last week of a relaxation period but comply with the usual cabotage rules may stay until the end of the period allowed under the usual rules.

Example 5

An EU-operated car transporter enters GB laden from its country of origin and unloads in GB on 27 September. It carries out one domestic cabotage operation on 30 September. It remains in the UK and carries out a further two cabotage operations, before leaving the UK on 3 October. This is permitted.

Note 6

An EU-operated car transporter which has been operating throughout either of the peak periods must carry out its last cabotage operation within the specified dates. For example, 31 March is the last delivery day for the first peak period of a year. The specified dates are between 22 February to 31 March and 25 August to 30 September each year.

Example 6

An EU-operated car transporter has been operating throughout a peak period and on the last day of that period loads up for one last delivery in the UK or for mainland Europe. If that delivery is made within that last day it is permitted. If the delivery is undertaken the following day that is not permitted (example: 1 April).

Note 7

Cars or vans do not need to be brand new to qualify for transport purposes either during a cabotage relaxation period or for the ‘3-in-7- day’ rule.