United Kingdom Statutory Instruments

"cm³" means cubic centimetres;

"kg" means kilograms;

"km/h" means kilometres per hour;

"kW" means kilowatts;

"maximum mass" means the technically permissible maximum laden mass as specified by the manufacturer;

"maximum speed" means the speed which the vehicle is incapable, by reason of its construction, of exceeding on the level under its own power when fully laden;

"trailer" means a vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle;

"semi-trailer" means a trailer which is constructed or adapted to form part of an articulated vehicle including (without prejudice to the generality of that) a vehicle which is not itself a motor vehicle but which has some or all of its wheels driven by the drawing vehicle; and

"unladen mass" excludes, in the case of motor vehicles propelled wholly or partly by electricity, the mass of its batteries.

(a) is fitted with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm³ ; or

(b) has a maximum speed of more than 45 km/h.

Class B(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class B(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Motor tricycles
Class C(a)
A three wheel motor vehicle (other than a moped) with three symmetrically arranged wheels which - 

(a) is fitted with an internal combustion engine having a cylinder capacity of more than 50 cm³; or

(b) a maximum speed of more than 45 km/h.

Class C(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class C(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Light quadricycles
Class D(a)
A four-wheel motor vehicle having - 

(a) an unladen mass of less than 350 kg;

(b) a maximum speed of not more than 45 km/h; and

(c) in the case of a vehicle with a spark ignition engine, an engine with a cylinder capacity not exceeding, 50 cm³ and, in the case of vehicles with other types of engine, an engine with a maximum net power not exceeding 4 kW.

Class D(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class D(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Quadricycles
Class E(a)
A four wheel motor vehicle (other than a light quadricycle) which has - 

(a) an unladen mass of, in the case of vehicles intended for carrying goods, not more than 550 kg and, in other cases, not more than 400kg; and

(b) an engine with a maximum net engine power not exceeding 15kW.

Class E(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class E(a) which is drawing a trailer.

(a) has at least four wheels;

(b) has an unladen mass exceeding 400kg or an engine with a net power exceeding 15kw;

(c) is used for the carriage of passengers; and

(d) is constructed to include living accommodation containing at least the following equipment:


(i) seats and a table;

(ii) sleeping accommodation which may be converted from the seats;

(iii) cooking facilities; and

(iv) storage facilities,



all of which equipment is rigidly fixed to the living compartment notwithstanding that the table may be designed to be easily removable.

Class L(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class L(a) which is drawing a trailer.

(a) has at least four wheels;

(b) has an unladen mass exceeding 400kg or an engine with net power exceeding 15kW;

(c) is used for the carriage of passengers; and

(d) is not a motor caravan within Class L(a) or Class L(b) specified in Part III above.

Sub-category M₁
Class M₁(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises no more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat.

Class M₁(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class M₁(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Sub-category M₂
Class M₂(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat, and has a maximum mass not exceeding 5 tonnes.

Class M₂(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class M₂(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Sub-category M₃
Class M₃(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat, and has a maximum mass exceeding 5 tonnes.

Class M₃(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class M₃(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Sub-category M Axle-based (1)
Class MAB(1)(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and has two axles.

Class MAB(1)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class MAB(1)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Sub-category M Axle-based (2)
Class MAB(2)(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and has three axles.

Class MAB(2)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class MAB(2)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Sub-category M Axle-based (3)
Class MAB(3)(a)
A motor vehicle which comprises more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and has more than three axles.

Class MAB(3)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class MAB(3)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

(a) has at least four wheels;

(b) has an unladen mass exceeding 550kg or an engine with power exceeding 15kW; and

(c) is used for the carriage of goods.

Sub-Category N₁
Class N₁(a)
A motor vehicle which has a maximum mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.

Class N₁(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class N₁(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Category N₂
Class N₂(a)
A motor vehicle which has a maximum mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes.

Class N₂(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class N₂(a) which is drawing a trailer.

Category N₃
Class N₃(a)
A motor vehicle which has a maximum mass exceeding 12 tonnes.

Class N₃(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class N₃(a) which is drawing a trailer.

N Axle-based (1)
Class NAB(1)(a)
A motor vehicle which has two axles.

Class NAB(1)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class NAB(1)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

N Axle-based (2)
Class NAB(2)(a)
A motor vehicle which has three axles.

Class NAB(2)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class NAB(2)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

N Axle-based (3)
Class NAB(3)(a)
A motor vehicle which has more than three axles.

Class NAB(3)(b)
A motor vehicle as defined in Class NAB(3)(a) which is drawing a trailer.

(a) by a non-metropolitan local traffic authority (a local traffic authority for an area outside Greater London);

(b) jointly by more than one non-metropolitan local traffic authority; or

(c) jointly by one or more non-metropolitan local traffic authorities and one or more London traffic authorities (Transport for London, a London borough council or the Common Council of the City of London).

Section 171(1)(c ) of the 2000 Act requires a charging scheme to specify the classes of motor vehicles in respect of which charges are imposed. Section 186(3)(d) of the Act provides that charges that may be imposed by a licensing scheme include different charges for different classes of motor vehicles. Section 198(3) of the Act requires classes for these purposes to be defined by regulations.

Regulation 2(1) provides for the classes of motor vehicles listed in the Schedule to the Regulations to be classes of motor vehicles for the purposes of Part III of the 2000 Act.

Regulation 2(2) and (3) provides that in relation to Parts IV and V of the Schedule, certain classes of motor vehicles (which are defined, inter alia, by reference to their maximum mass) are not specified in relation to charging and licensing schemes which specify charges for certain classes of motor vehicles (which are defined, inter alia, by reference to the number of their axles). The effect of these provisions is to ensure that a charging or licensing scheme cannot impose charges for classes of motor vehicles by reference to their maximum mass as well as the number of their axles.

The definitions of classes of motor vehicles in Part II of the Schedule are based on definitions in Article 1 of Council Directive 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles (O.J. L225, 10. 08. 92, p.72. Directive as amended by the Act of Accession 1994).

The definitions of classes of motor vehicles in Parts III, IV and V of the Schedule are based on the definitions in Annex II of Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6th February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers (O.J. L42, 23. 02. 70, p.1) as last amended by Directive 98/91/EC (O.J. L11, 16. 01. 99, p.25).

Copies of the Directives referred to in this Explanatory Note can be obtained from the Stationery Office.