1.—(1) Any vehicle which is owned or hired without a driver by a public authority to undertake carriage by road otherwise than in competition with private transport undertakings.N.I.
(2) A vehicle does not fall within the description specified in this paragraph unless the vehicle is being used—
(a)by a health and social services body—
(i)to provide ambulance services and services for the conveyance of persons suffering illness, expectant or nursing mothers or other persons for whom such transport is reasonably required; or
(ii)to carry staff, patients, medical supplies, equipment, organs or blood;
(iii)to provide services for old persons and services for persons to whom welfare arrangements for physically and mentally handicapped persons apply;
(b)by Her Majesty’s Coastguard, a general lighthouse authority or a local lighthouse authority;
(c)for the purpose of maintaining railways by the Northern Ireland Railways;
(d)by Waterways Ireland within the jurisdiction of Northern Ireland for the purpose of maintaining navigable waterways.
(3) In this paragraph—
“general lighthouse authority” and “local lighthouse authority” have the same meaning as in Part 8 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995(1);
“health and social services body” means—
a health and social services board established under Article 16(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2);
the Northern Ireland Central Services Agency for the Health and Social Services established under Article 26(1) of the Health and Personal Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972;
a special agency established under Article 3(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Special Agencies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1990(3); or
a Health and Social Services Trust established under Article 10(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991(4).
Commencement Information
I1Sch. para. 1 in operation at 23.4.2009, see reg. 1