PNRC 12 - Overheight Vehicles Road Traffic Ordinance, CAP 374 [for study only]
Table of Contents
Introduction
This article would introduce the content of PNRC 12 – “Overheight Vehicles Road Traffic Ordinance”.
Apart from that, this article would introduction some important restrictions / regulations for Road Traffic related to construction industry in Hong Kong.
Content of PNRC 12 - Restriction on Height
All registered contractors shall ensure that:
The correct type of vehicle is used.
No part of the load on the vehicle is higher than 4.6 m above the road surface, which is the stipulated in Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulation 55(d).
Additional requirements by TD stipulated in CoP for the Loading of Vehicles - x/4
As per Code of Practice for the Loading of Vehicles, Height of load should not normally extend above the roof of the cab by more than ¼ of the height of the cab from the ground, except in the case of specially designed and enclosed vehicles.
This requirement is to ensure the stability of the loads, especially for such loaded vehicles particularly vulnerable to being overturned at bends, in high wind situations such as typhoon conditions.
Why need "Overheight" restriction?
Avoid damage to any structure
Avoid loss of life due to structure collapsing or debris from the structure.
Restriction on Size of Vehicles
Apart from the “4.6m” restriction as mention above, Cap. 374A Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations stipulates the limited overall dimensions to different types of vehicles. Examples are as below:
The above dimension includes the size of the goods.
Definition of Light Goods, Medium, Heavy Goods Vehicle, Rigid and Articulated Vehicle
Under CAP374 – Road Traffic Ordinance
Light goods vehicle (輕型貨車) : permitted gross vehicle weight <= 5.5 tonnes
Medium goods vehicle (中型貨車): permitted gross vehicle weight > 5.5 tonnes but <= 24 tonnes;
Heavy goods vehicle (重型貨車) : permitted gross vehicle weight > 24 tonnes but < 38 tonnes;
Articulated vehicle = a motor vehicle (汽車) + trailer (拖車), trailer = means a vehicle which is not mechanically propelled and is towed by motor vehicle
Restriction on Weight of Vehicles
As per CAP374G, a goods vehicle must not be so loaded that the following be exceeded:
Its maximum gross vehicle weight,
Its maximum axle weight, or
in the case of an articulated vehicle,
Its maximum gross combined weight in relation to the inner axle spacing (p.s. different inner axle 內軸距離 spacing would have different limited gross combined weight, example as below);
Axle and axle weight
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel. An example of a two axle vehicle is shown below:
Axle weight: Weight transmitted to the ground by one axle or one set of axles. (Point load)
Display the permitted gross vehicle weight and the maximum permitted axle weight
A goods vehicle and special purpose vehicle* shall display the below information upon some conspicuous place:
-
The permitted gross vehicle weight; (gross vehicle = s/w of vehicle + weight of load)
-
The maximum permitted axle weight
*(introduce later)
Restriction on Position of Goods
Under CAP374G, unless an appropriate permit has been issued (a wide or long load permit), the goods vehicle must not be so loaded that:
Forward more than 1.5m from the foremost
Backwards more than 1.4m behind the rearmost part
Sideways so that the total width of the load is more than 2.5 m.
Warning for overhanging the vehicle
Under CAP374G, if overhanging the vehicle, there should be:
For daytime, having a red flag of not less than 1 square meter attached at its rear
For hours of darkness or in poor visibility conditions, having a white light at front and a red light to the rear
Good Practices for Loading of Vehicles under CoP
Long metal sections
Long metal sections should be carried along the length of the vehicle (沿車身平放) and be restrained to prevent them from moving.
Where headboard is required to support long metal loads, it should be ensured that the load capacity for the headboard is not exceed.
Loads supported by the headboard (前欄板) will also need to have suitable trestles (桁架) firmly attached to and along the platform of the vehicle in order to properly secure and distribute the load.
The use of the tailgate (後欄板) to support any part of the load or as an anchorage point for the loads is not acceptable as shown below.
Loose bulk loads
For open topped vehicles, all loads must be properly covered to prevent loads from falling or being blown off from the top as shown below:
Mechanical dump truck cover, which has been promulgated in public works contracts in step since 2007, is the preferred cover type for loose bulk loads, as shown below:
Loose bulk loads of any description must be levelled off and not be loaded above the headboard, sideboards or tailgate.
Transportation of Engineering plant
Apart form complying with the restriction requirements for goods vehicles, such as restriction on height, weight or position of goods, the attention shall be paid to the below good practices for transportation of engineering plants:
All movable assemblies such as jibs, brackets, booms, and cabs must be secured in the position recommended for transportation by the plant manufacture
Wheeled or tracked engineering plant after being loaded onto the carrying vehicle must have the parking brake applied and be securely restrained by other means, such as chains.
It will also be necessary to provide baulking (墊木墊) against the front and rear wheels or tracks of the plant being carried to prevent it moving forwards or backwards.
All of fixing devices should incorporate a suitable tensioning device to ensure the lashings are properly tightened.
Some examples for transportation of engineering plant are shown below:
Can Construction Plants Drive on Public Road?
Under CAP374-22,
Every vehicle of a class specified in Schedule 1 which is used on any road shall be licensed.
The schedule 1 is as below:
Most of the construction plants are classified as “Special purpose vehicle” (“特別用途車輛”), the definition is as below:
Therefore, construction plants can be used on the road (such as drive on the road) unless as long as it is already licensed – class code 21 (車輛類別21)
Conditions for Issuing License
For a vehicle to be registered in the Special Purpose Vehicle category, the vehicle must meet the following requirements:
(i) approved by the Environmental Protection Department;
→Obtain a vehicle noise and emissions certificate.
(ii) approved by the Transport Department; and
→Submit a document issued by the vehicle manufacturer certifying that the safety glass produced by it complies with the laws of Hong Kong for approval
→Submit Vehicle Specifications for approval
→Submit detailed specifications of the engine and its power for approval
→Submit design weight plus total vehicle weight of trailer equipment for approval etc.
(iii) Each vehicle of that model must undergo a pre-registration inspection (登記前檢驗).
Maximum weight transmitted to the road surface
Weight of vehicles could be one of the audit criteria for license application of “special purposed vehicle”.
Under CAP374A, a goods vehicles must not be so loaded that the weight transmitted to the road surface exceeds:
4.5 tonnes by any one wheel where no other wheel is in the same line transversely (motor bike),
9 tonnes in total by any 2 wheels in line transversely,
10 tonnes in total by any 2 double-tyred wheels in line transversely
THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES ONLY.