Explanatory note

The Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986 (“the 1986 Regulations”) provide for the removal and disposal of vehicles under sections 3 and 4 of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (“the 1978 Act”) and sections 99 and 101 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (“the 1984 Act”).

The functions of the Secretary of State under sections 3 and 4 of the 1978 Act were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999, SI 1999/672, article 2 and Schedule 1. The functions of the Secretary of State under sections 99 and 101 of the 1984 Act were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 2004, SI 2004/3044, article 2 and Schedule 1. All functions of the National Assembly for Wales were transferred to the Welsh Ministers by virtue of paragraph 30 of Schedule 11 to the Government of Wales Act 2006.

These Regulations amend the 1986 Regulations in relation to Wales (save for those parts of the Severn Crossings which are in Wales) so as to allow civil enforcement officers to remove vehicles which have been permitted to remain at rest on a road in a civil enforcement area in Wales.

Such removal may only take place where a civil enforcement officer has fixed a penalty charge notice to the vehicle, or has handed such a notice to the person appearing to be in charge of the vehicle.

Penalty charge notices issued in relation to vehicles in designated parking places which are issued in respect of parking charges, failing to display a ticket or parking device or failing to remove the vehicle from a parking place at the end of a period for which a charge was paid, will not warrant removal of the vehicle concerned, until the expiry of the “appropriate period” as defined by new regulation 5C(4).

A full Regulatory Impact Assessment and Explanatory Memorandum can be obtained from the Integrated Transport Unit, Transport, Planning and Administration Division, Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Crown Offices, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ or on the Welsh Assembly Government website at http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/buslegislation/bus/bus-legislation-sub/bus-legislation-sub-annulment.htm