Motor Vehicles (Weights, Dimensions and Equipment)

L.N. 397 of 2021

AUTHORITY FOR TRANSPORT IN MALTA ACT

(CAP. 499)

TRAFFIC REGULATION ORDINANCE

(CAP. 65)

Motor Vehicles (Weights, Dimensions and Equipment)

(Amendment) Regulations, 2021

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by article 43 of the

Authority for Transport in Malta Act and by article 54 of the Traffic

Regulation Ordinance, the Minister responsible for Transport,

Infrastructure and Capital Projects, after consultation with the

Authority for Transport in Malta, has made the following regulations:-

(1) The title of these regulations is the Motor Vehicles Citation and

(Weights, Dimensions and Equipment) (Amendment) Regulations, scope.

2021 and these regulations shall be read and construed as one with the

Motor Vehicles (Weights, Dimensions and Equipment) Regulations, S.L. 65. 21.

hereinafter referred to as "the principal regulations".

(2) The scope of these regulations is to transpose Decision

(EU) 2019/984 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5

June 2019 amending Council Directive 96/53/EC as regards the time

limit for the implementation of the special rules regarding maximum

length for cabs delivering improved aerodynamic performance, energy

efficiency and safety performance and to implement Article 20 of

Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 of the European Parliament and of the

Council of 20 June 2019 setting CO 2 emission performance standards

for new heavy-duty vehicles and amending Regulations (EC) No 595/

2009 and (EU) 2018/956 of the European Parliament and of the

Council and Council Directive 96/53/EC.

Regulation 2 of the principal regulations shall be amended Amends

regulation 2 of

as follows

the principal

regulations.

(a) immediately after the definition "data memory" there

shall be added the following new definition

" "Decision (EU) 2019/984" means Decision (EU)

2019/984 of the European Parliament and of the Council of

5 June 2019 amending Council Directive 96/53/EC as

regards the time limit for the implementation of the special

rules regarding maximum length for cabs delivering

improved aerodynamic performance, energy efficiency and

safety performance;";

(b) immediately after the definition "recording

equipment" there shall be added the following new definition

" "Regulation (EU) 2019/1242" means Regulation

(EU) 2019/1242 of the European Parliament and of the

Council of 20 June 2019 setting CO 2 emission performance

standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and amending

Regulations (EC) No 595/2009 and (EU) 2018/956 of the

European Parliament and of the Council and Council

Directive 96/53/EC;"; and

(c) in the definition "workshop or fitter card", the words

"approved by the Authority." shall be substituted by the words

"approved by the Authority;" and immediately thereafter there

shall be added the following new definition

" "zero-emission vehicle" means a zero-emission

heavy-duty vehicle as defined in point (11) of Article 3 of

Regulation (EU) 2019/1242 of the European Parliament

and of the Council.".

Regulation 9 of the principal regulations shall be amended

as follows

(a) sub-regulation (3) thereof shall be substituted by the

following new sub-regulation

"(3) The maximum authorised weights of

alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles shall be

those set out in points 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.3.1, 2.3.2

and 2.4 of the First Schedule."; and

(b) sub-regulation (4) thereof shall be substituted by the

following new sub-regulation

"(4) Alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles

shall also comply with the maximum authorised weight

limits set out in point 3 of the First Schedule.".

Sub-regulation (2) of regulation 12A of the principal

regulations shall be substituted by the following new sub-regulation

"(2) This regulation shall be deemed to have come into

force on 15 April 2020.".

Sub-regulation (2) of regulation 12B of the principal Amends

regulations shall be substituted by the following new sub-regulation: regulation

of the principal

regulations.

"(2) This regulation shall be deemed to have come into

force on 1 September 2020.".

Sub-regulation (2) of regulation 14 of the principal Amends

regulations shall be substituted by the following new sub-regulation: regulation

the principal

regulations.

"(2) The additional weight required by alternatively

fuelled or zero-emission vehicles shall be defined on the basis of

the documentation provided by the manufacturer when the

vehicle in question is approved. The additional weight shall be

indicated in the official proof required in accordance with sub-

regulation (1).".

The First Schedule to the principal regulations shall be Amends the

First Schedule

amended as follows

to the principal

regulations.

(a) point 2.2 thereof shall be substituted by the following

new point

" Vehicle Combinations

2.2

2.2.1

Road trains with five or six axles

In the case of vehicle combinations including

alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles, the

maximum authorised weights provided for in this

section shall be increased by the additional weight of

the alternative fuel or zero-emission technology with

a maximum of 1 tonne and 2 tonnes respectively.

two-axle motor vehicle with three-axle semi- 40.0 tonnes

(a)

trailer

(b)

three-axle motor vehicle with two or three-

40.0 tonnes

axle trailer

2.2.2

Articulated vehicles with five or six axles

In the case of vehicle combinations including

alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles, the

maximum authorised weights provided for in this

section shall be increased by the additional weight of

the alternative fuel or zero-emission technology with

a maximum of 1 tonne and 2 tonnes respectively.

(a)

two-axle motor vehicle with three-axle semi-

40.0tonnes

trailer

(b)

three-axle motor vehicle with two or three-

40.0 tonnes

axle semi-trailer

(c)

two axle motor vehicle with three axle semi-

trailer carrying, in intermodal transport operations,

one or more containers or swap bodies, up to a total

42.0 tonnes

maximum length of 45 feet

(d)

three-axle motor vehicle with two- or three-

axle semi-trailer carrying, in intermodal transport

operations, one or more containers or swap bodies,

44.0 tonnes

up to a total maximum length of 45 feet

2.2.3

Road trains with four axles consisting of a two-axle

motor vehicle and a two-axle trailer

In the case of vehicle combinations including

alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles, the

maximum authorised weights provided for in this

section shall be increased by the additional weight of

the alternative fuel or zero-emission technology with

a maximum of 1 tonne and 2 tonnes respectively.

0 tonnes

2.2.4

Articulated vehicles with four axles consisting of a

two-axle motor vehicle and a two-axle semi-trailer,

if the distance between the axles of the semi-trailer

In the case of vehicle combinations including

alternatively fuelled or zero-emission vehicles, the

maximum authorised weights provided for in this

section shall be increased by the additional weight of

the alternative fuel or zero-emission technology with

a maximum of 1 tonne and 2 tonnes respectively.

2.2.4.

- is 1.3m or greater but not more than 1.8m

36.0 tonnes

2.2.4.

- is greater than 1.8 m

36.0 tonnes

+ 2 tonnes margin

when the

maximum

authorised weight

(MAW) of the

motor vehicle (18

tonnes) and the

MAW of the

tandem axle of the

semi-trailer (20

tonnes) are

respected and the

driving axle is

fitted with twin

tyres and air

suspension or

suspension

recognised as

being equivalent

within the

Community as

defined in Annex II

of Directive 96/53/

EC.";

(b) point 2.3 thereof shall be substituted by the following

new point

"2.3

Motor vehicles

2.3.1

Two-axle motor vehicles other than buses

18.0 tonnes

Two-axle alternatively fuelled motor vehicles other than T h e

maximum

authorised weight of

buses

18 tonnes is increased

by the additional

weight required for

the alternative fuel

technology with a

maximum of 1 tonne

Zero-emission vehicles

The

maximum

authorised weight of

18 tonnes is increased

by the additional

weight of the zero-

emission technology

with a maximum of 2

tonnes

Two-axle buses

19.5 tonnes

2.3.2

Three-axle motor vehicles

25 tonnes, or 26

tonnes where the

driving axle is fitted

with twin tyres and

air suspension or

suspension

recognised as being

equivalent within the

Union or where each

driving axle is fitted

with twin tyres and

the maximum weight

of each axle does not

exceed 9.5 tonnes

Three-axle alternatively fuelled motor vehicles

The

maximum

authorised weight of

25 tonnes, or 26

tonnes where the

driving axle is fitted

with twin tyres and

air suspension or

suspension

recognised as being

equivalent within the

Union or where each

driving axle is fitted

with twin tyres and

the maximum weight

of each axle does not

exceed 9,5 tonnes, is

increased by the

additional weight

required for the

alternative fuel

technolog y with a

maximum of 1 tonne

Three-axle zero-emission vehicles

The

maximum

authorised weight of

25 tonnes, or 26

tonnes where the

driving axle is fitted

with twin tyres and

air suspension or

suspension

recognised as being

equivalent within the

Union as defined in

Annex II or where

each driving axle is

fitted with twin tyres

and the maximum

weight of each axle

does not exceed 9,5

tonnes, is increased

by the additional

weight of the zero-

emission technology

with a maximum of 2

tonnes

Four-axle motor vehicles with two steering axles

2.3.3

32.0 tonnes.

Where the driving

axle is fitted with

twin tyres and air

suspension

or

suspension

recognised as being

equivalent within the

Community

as

defined in Annex II,

or where each driving

axle is fitted with

twin tyres and the

maximum weight of

each axle does not

exceed 9,5 tonnes";

(c) point 2.4 thereof shall be substituted by the following

new point

28.0 tonnes

Three-axle articulated buses

Three-axle articulated buses alternatively fuelled

The maximum

authorised weight of

28 tonnes is

increased by the

additional weight

required for the

alternative fuel

technology with a

maximum of 1 tonne

Three-axle articulated buses that are zero-emission The maximum

vehicles

authorised weight of

28 tonnes is

increased by the

additional weight of

the zero-emission

technology with a

maximum of 2

tonnes ";

(d) point 3 thereof shall be substituted by the following

new point

" Maximum authorised axle weight (in tonnes)

Single axles

- single non-driving axle

10.0 tonnes

Tandem axles of trailers and semi-trailers

The sum of the axle weights per tandem axle must not

exceed, if the distance (d) between the axles is

less than 1 m (d < 1,0)

11 tonnes

between 1,0 m and less than 1,3 m (1,0 ≤ d < 1,3)

16 tonnes

between 1,3 m and less than 1,8 m (1,3 ≤ d < 1,8)

18 tonnes

1,8 m or more (1,8 ≤ d)

20 tonnes

Tri-axles of trailers and semi-trailers

The sum of the axle weights per tri-axle must not exceed, if

the distance (d) between the axles is

1,3 m or less (d ≤ 1,3)

21 tonnes

over 1,3 m and up to 1,4 m (1,3 <d ≤ 1,4)

24 tonnes

Driving axle

Driving axle of the vehicles referred to in 2.2.1 and 2.2.2

11,5 tonnes

Driving axle of the vehicles referred to in points 2.2.3,

2.2.4, 2.3 and 2.4

11,5 tonnes

3.5

Tandem axles of motor vehicles

The sum of the axle weights per tandem axle must not

exceed, if the distance (d) between the axles is

3.5.1

less than 1 m (d < 1,0)

11,5 tonnes

3.5.2

1,0 m or greater but less than 1,3 m (1,0 ≤ d < 1,3)

16 tonnes

3.5.3

1,3 m or greater but less than 1,8 m

18 tonnes

(1,3 ≤ d < 1,8)

19 tonnes

where

the

driving axle

is fitted with

twin tyres

and

air

suspension

or

suspension

recognised

as

being

equivalent

within the

Community

as defined in

Annex II, or

where each

driving axle

is fitted with

twin tyres

and where

the

maximum

weight for

each

axle

does

not

exceed 9,5

tonnes"; and

(e)

footnotes 1 to 4 thereof shall be deleted.

€0.90