Operators' licences
3Temporary exemptions
1
The Department may, for the purpose of—
a
enabling an emergency to be dealt with, or
b
enabling some other special need to be met,
by notice grant to any person falling within subsection (2) a temporary exemption from any requirement to hold a standard licence which would otherwise be imposed by sections 1 and 2 in respect of any vehicle specified in the notice or any vehicle of a class so specified.
2
A person falls within this subsection if the person is engaged exclusively in national transport operations which have only a minor impact on the transport market because of the nature of the goods carried or the short distances over which goods are carried.
3
A temporary exemption granted under subsection (1) permits the person to whom it is granted to use the specified vehicle or (as the case may be) any vehicle of the specified class for the carriage of goods by road for hire or reward for the purposes of transport operations such as are referred to in subsection (2) (and, accordingly, sections 1(1) and 2(6) shall not to that extent apply to that person’s use of goods vehicles).
4
A temporary exemption has effect until consultations with the European Commission for the purposes of Article 2(2) of the 1996 Council Directive are completed.