24 August 2021
St Helena Police are currently conducting an education and awareness programme for the local community. Each week a different topic will be aired on local radio stations, issued via information releases and posted on Social Media.
This week’s topic is Vehicle Exemption Guidance:
This guidance is designed to ensure consistency of approach when dealing with persons who have
applied for a motor vehicle exemption permit. There are vehicles that are deemed to be of such an exceptional kind on St Helena that they fall outside of the Road Traffic Regulations 1985.
Section 3 (2) states, If the Licensing Officer certifies that any vehicle is of such an exceptional kind that it is proper to permit its use on a road without compliance with all the provisions of these Regulations that would otherwise apply to its use, the Governor may notwithstanding those provisions permit its use subject to conditions the Governor thinks fit.
St Helena’s road network was initially designed for the use of horses and carts and remains predominantly single-lane carriageways. Over the years significant improvement and investment have been made to the road infrastructure.
Ultimately it is the responsibility of HE the Governor to ensure that the infrastructure of the roads are not compromised, thus supporting the necessity for the Road Traffic Regulations to be imposed.
The main reasons that exemptions are required is for the length, width and weight being exceeded.
Any owner of an exceptional vehicle requiring an exemption must first complete an application form. Once the form has been completed it must then be submitted to the Chief of Police/Licensing Officer for approval in conjunction with the Highways Authority. HE the Governor will authorise or refuse this application. The exemption permit must be applied for annually before each MOT as it is only valid for the duration of the vehicle’s road licence which is 12 months.
For adhoc movements where exemption permits are required, these must be applied for, at least 15 working days before the planned movement.
The MOT Examiner will require proof of this exemption to enable them to carry out the appropriate test. Failure to provide this proof will result in an MOT Form not being issued.
SHG,
24 August 2021