Help!! Minibuses and the law

[chris_w666]

Please can someone help me here. I work as operations manager for a voluntary youth group. We are currently running an 06 registered ford transit 15 seat bus and a 06 registered vivaro 12 seater.

As all our local dealers seem to be clueless to the legislation and as usual website and other guidance is ambiguous. Could any one please tell me if we should have these vehicles fitted with speed restrictors and if this is the case why isnt it standard fit by manufacturers.

Thanks in advance.

Chris

[japhilip]

Yes, you do.

Vehicles registered after Jan 2005 have until 1st Jan 2008 to be fitted with limiters. All new vehicles should be fitted with them from the outset now.

It applies for minibuses with 8 or more seats in addition to the driver's.

Speed should, from what I can gather, be set to a so called stabilised speed of 100 kph.

This link contains the relevant information.

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/newsandevents/pres...

HTH

Edit: The manufacturers/dealers should be able to easily limit the vehicle's top speed through the ECU. I had this done years ago on a 2001 model sprinter, so current Transits/Vivaro's should be possible. Cost was negligible (£20 ish) as it took a mere 10 or so minutes. Surely the dealer's service dept should be able to sort this out pretty easily?

I don't see any reason why they'd need to fit the old fashioned type, unless the vehicle doesn't have electronic engine control (and yours should do), but these cost around £5-800.

Edited by japhilip on Tuesday 4th December 14:44

[robwales]

Well the '57 Transit minibus hired by our uni certainly wasn't limited.

Edited by robwales on Tuesday 4th December 20:31

[japhilip]

robwales said:

Well the '57 Transit minibus hired by our uni certainly wasn't limited.

Edited by robwales on Tuesday 4th December 20:31

For some strange reason, although this legislation has been filtered in over the last 3 years, vehicles registered after Jan 1st 2005 haven't had to be fitted with limiters until this coming Jan 1st ('08). So you're right, but if you hire one in the new year, it should be.

[Ean218]

robwales said:

Well the '57 Transit minibus hired by our uni certainly wasn't limited.

I didn't know they were making 'em that long ago and I certainly don't think it would have had a limiter.