The Department of Transport has this week put forward a proposed set of guidelines that they believe will help clarify the situation in regard to the speed limits of coaches, minibuses, HGV vehicles, and buses.
The need for guidelines has arisen as a result of the differences between older and newer vehicles. The latest models of coaches, minibuses, and buses tend to be fitted with a speed limiter device, however the older vehicles do not have this.
This means that new passenger vehicles which have the capacity to carry over 8 passengers, are limited to a maximum speed of 62.5mph due to the speed limiter onboard, whereas an older vehicle can drive at up to 70mph.
Environmentalists have given the new guidelines their backing. They believe that there is currently no incentive for transport operators to remove old vehicles from their fleet and replace with new, more environmentally friendly vehicles, due to the discrepancy in maximum speed limits.
A number of other confusions have come about due to the differences between old and new vehicles. Often drivers are left confused about the rules. Another major difference is that new vehicles with speed limiters are not permitted to use the far right lane, the fast lane, on a three lane motorway, but the older vehicles are allowed.
Under the new proposal put forward this week, all buses, coaches, and minibuses carrying over 8 passengers would be subject to a 65mph speed limit regardless. Also all of these aforementioned vehicles would not be allowed to use the far right hand side lane on a three lane motorway.