FTA’s Member Advice Centre (MAC) is a telephone service for FTA Ireland members that provides access to our transport advisors. Our team will offer you expert advice and answers on your legal and operational questions from drivers’ hours and working time through to vehicle maintenance standards and current legislation
Q & A example of our MAC service is as follows:
Question
We have a 28-tonne vehicle that has been off the road undergoing long-term body repairs due to accident damage. It has now been completed and is ready to go back into service. However, the annual test has expired while the vehicle was being repaired. Can we take it to the maintenance provider who will prepare it and then take it for test? The distance is approximately 12 kilometers which would be on the public road.
Answer
Under legislation the only time a vehicle with an expired test certificate can be driven on the public road is to a pre-booked test appointment (it must still be in a roadworthy condition). If you need to take it to a maintenance provider, then it will have to be recovered to the provider. Another option, as the vehicle is a 28-tonne, is to use trade plates for the journey. There is a provision which exempts a vehicle from the plating and testing regulations while being driven on trade plates. If the maintenance provider has trade plates, they may be able to collect the vehicle and bring it to their workshop. Regulations regarding the use of trade plates must be fully complied with if this provision is used.
Contact the MAC
As a key part to your membership, the Member Advice Centre is there for all legal operational or technical queries.
Answering over 28,000 transport related calls a year, you can be sure help and expert advice is just a phone call away.
The MAC is open 9am until 5pm Monday to Friday.