Guidance

LNG (liquified natural gas) vehicles

Published 1 March 2010

Introduction

For a vehicle to be used on the public roads in Great Britain it must comply with insurance, licensing (tax) and registration requirements. It must also comply with applicable construction regulations. Primarily these are the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (C&U), as amended, and the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, as amended. These regulations are made under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Construction & Use restrictions on the use of vehicles propelled by gaseous fuels

Regulation 94 (2) of the C&U regulations effectively prohibits the use of any gas for propulsion of a vehicle except liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Regulation 94 (2) states that:

No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, in any gas supply system for the propulsion of a vehicle when the vehicle is on a road any fuel except liquefied petroleum gas.

Road use of vehicles not complying with the full requirements of C&U requirements

Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act allows the Secretary of State for Transport to authorise the road use of vehicles that do not fully comply with regulations under section 41 (Details of how a copy of the Road Traffic Act may be obtained are at section 5 of this information sheet). He may make orders that apply generally to special types of vehicles or that apply more specifically to particular vehicles or vehicles of particular persons. In relation to both types of order, restrictions or conditions may be specified by or under the order and the order may (subject to restrictions or conditions) require the observance of regulations made under section 41 of the Act with modifications or exceptions.

The road use of vehicles propelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) may be permitted by an individual order made under section 44 of the Act – a ‘vehicle special order’ (VSO). A VSO must be obtained before the vehicle can legally be used on roads.

Applications for VSOs should be submitted to the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA). Details of how to apply for an order can be found on VCA’s website.

The Road Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

These regulations are not available on the internet and have been amended many times which makes it difficult to piece together the latest form of the regulations. However these regulations are available in a consolidated format in most city reference libraries, from companies who publish law. One example is Sweet and Maxwell who publish the ‘The encyclopaedia of road traffic law and practice’. This publication is continually updated and volume 4 contains a full version of the abovementioned regulations in consolidated format. Other possible suppliers include InterRegs.

Alternatively, it is possible to purchase printed copies of the statutory instruments that comprise the regulations from the TSO at the following address:

The Stationery Office
TSO Orders/Post Cash Dept
PO Box 29
Norwich
NR3 1GN

e-mail: customer.services@tso.co.uk
Online ordering: http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp
Customer service: http://www.tso.co.uk/contact/customerservices/

The Road Traffic Act 1988

The Road Traffic Act is freely available on www.legislation.gov.uk.

Alternatively, printed copies can be obtained from the TSO at the address provided above.

Legal information

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