Tractor test – but not for farmers

Tractor testing goes ahead from 20 May, but farmers’ and most agri contractors’ tractors will be excluded.

Tractors capable of driving at over 40km/h and which are used for non-agricultural work will have to be tested for road-worthiness and have a CVR disc on their windscreens. The new test will not be required for slower tractors or for tractors – slow or fast – used for farming, forestry or similar purposes, mainly on land.

The announcement by Minister for Transport Shane Ross was welcomed by IFA environment committee chair Thomas Cooney, who described the decision as pragmatic and said it followed months of negotiations by IFA.

However, both Cooney and agri contractors have called on Minister Ross to more clearly explain what work involving tractors will be considered exempt from testing.

“We are concerned that contractors transporting a trailerload of gravel to be used in farmland drainage or transporting a digger to be used for putting in farm or forestry roads could be stopped and questioned unnecessarily by gardaí,” said Richard White, chair of the Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland.

Other farming activity that requires clarification includes turf and peat harvesting, transport of animal feed products that are derived from food industry and transport and spreading of various fertiliser products, he said. He accused the Department of Transport of breaking its promise of further talks before the new legislation was published.

On Monday, Minister Ross signed the new laws into effect by way of Statutory Instrument 117/2018. It amends previous laws, including the RSA (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012.

Eligible tractors will have to be tested when four years old and every second year thereafter. There will be exemptions for tractors used exclusively on small islands and for vintage tractors registered prior to 1980 with that date rolling forward.