Article 1
Directive 96/53/EC is hereby amended as follows: 1. in Article 1: (a) paragraph 1(a) shall be replaced by the following: "(a) the dimensions of motor vehicles in categories M2 and M3 and their trailers in category 0 and motor vehicles in categories N2 and N3 and their trailers in categories 03 and 04, as defined in Annex II to Council Directive 70/156/EEC of 6 February 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type approval of motor vehicles and their trailers(6);"; (b) the following paragraph shall be added: "3. This Directive shall not apply to articulated buses comprising more than one articulated section."; 2. in Article 3(1), the second indent shall be replaced by the following: "- in national traffic, of vehicles registered or put into circulation in any other Member State for reasons relating to their dimensions;"; 3. Article 4 shall be amended as follows: (a) paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be replaced by the following: "1. Member States shall not authorise the normal circulation within their territories: (a) of vehicles or vehicle combinations for the national transport of goods which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 4.2 and 4.4 of Annex I; (b) of vehicles for national passenger transport, which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.4a, 1.5 and 1.5a of Annex I. 2. Member States may nonetheless authorise the circulation within their territories: (a) of vehicles or vehicle combinations for the national transport of goods which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in points 1.3, 2, 3, 4.1 and 4.3 of Annex I; (b) of vehicles for national passenger transport, which are not in conformity with the characteristics set out in points 1.3, 2, 3, 4.1 and 4.3 of Annex I."; (b) paragraph 4 shall be amended as follows: (i) in the first subparagraph, the terms "vehicles or vehicle combinations used for goods transport which..." shall be replaced by "vehicles or vehicle combinations used for transport which..."; (ii) in the third subparagraph, the terms "the circulation in its territory, in national goods transport operations, of vehicles..." shall be replaced by "the circulation in its territory, in national transport operations, of vehicles..." (c) the following paragraph shall be added: "7. Until 31 December 2020 Member States may authorise buses that were registered or put into circulation before the implementation of this Directive but the dimensions of which exceed those laid down in points 1.1, 1.2, 1.5 and 1.5a of Annex I to circulate within their territories."; 4. Article 7 shall be replaced by the following text: "Article 7 This Directive shall not preclude the application of road traffic provisions in force in each Member State which permit the weight and/or dimensions of vehicles on certain roads or civil engineering structures to be limited, irrespective of the State of registration of such vehicles or the State where such vehicles were put into circulation. This includes the possibility to impose local restrictions on maximum authorised dimensions and/or weights of vehicles that may be used in specified areas or on specified roads, where the infrastructure is not suitable for long and heavy vehicles, such as city centres, small villages or places of special natural interest."; 5. the following Article shall be inserted: "Article 8a Portugal and the United Kingdom may refuse or prohibit the use on their territory until 9 March 2005 of the buses referred to in point 1.1 of Annex I unless they satisfy the following manoeuvrability criteria: - when the bus is stationary and has its steered wheels so directed that if the vehicle moved, its outermost forward point would describe a circle of 12,50 m in radius, a vertical plane tangential to the side of the vehicle which faces outwards from the circle must be established by marking a line on the ground. In the case of an articulated bus the two rigid portions must be aligned with the plane, - when the bus moves forward on either side following the circle of 12,50 m in radius, no part of it may move outside the vertical plane by more than 0,80 m in the case of a rigid bus of up to 12 m in length or by more than 1,20 m in the case of either a rigid bus of over 12 m in length or an articulated bus."; 6. the following Article shall be inserted: "Article 10a With regard to Annex I, point 1.5a, the Commission shall, by 9 March 2005 at the latest, present a report on the feasibility of reducing the value of 0,60 m referred to in the second subparagraph of this point to improve the safety conditions related to the manoeuvrability of long buses. If appropriate, the report shall be accompanied by a legislative proposal to amend this Directive accordingly."; 7. Annex I shall be amended as follows: (a) point 1.1 shall be replaced by the following: "1.1 maximum length: >TABLE>" (b) the following point shall be inserted: "1.4a If any removable attachments such as ski-boxes are fitted to a bus, its length, including the attachments, must not exceed the maximum length laid down in point 1.1"; (c) the following point shall be inserted: "1.5a Additional requirements for buses With the vehicle stationary, a vertical plane tangential to the side of the vehicle and facing outwards from the circle shall be established by marking a line on the ground. In the case of an articulated vehicle, the two rigid portions shall be aligned with the plane. When the vehicle moves from a straight line approach into the circular area described in point 1.5, no part of it shall move outside of that vertical plane by more than 0,60 m."