8.—(1) Regulation 79 shall be amended as follows.
(2) For paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), there shall be substituted the following paragraphs—
“(2) Save as provided in paragraph (5), where a vehicle to which this regulation applies is of a description specified in an item in column 2 of Part V of Schedule 11 and has two closely-spaced axles, the total weight transmitted to the road surface by all the wheels of those axles shall not exceed the maximum permitted weight specified in column 3 of that item.
(3) Save as provided in paragraph (5), where a vehicle to which this regulation applies is of a description specified in an item in column 2 of Part VI of Schedule 11 and has three closely-spaced axles, the total weight transmitted to the road surface by all the wheels of those axles shall not exceed the weight specified in column 3.
(4) Save as provided by paragraph (5), where a vehicle is fitted with four or more closely-spaced axles, the weight transmitted to the road surface by all the wheels of those axles shall not exceed 24,000kg.”
(3) In paragraph (5), for the words “and nothing in paragraph (3)” onwards, there shall be substituted the words—
“and nothing in those paragraphs shall prevent a vehicle being used on a road if—
(a)a plating certificate in respect of the vehicle was in force immediately before the 1st January 1993; and
(b)no axle has an axle weight exceeding the weight shown in that certificate as being the weight not to be exceeded in Great Britain for that axle.”
(4) For paragraphs (6), (7) and (8) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—
“(6) In Parts V and VI of Schedule 11, “air-suspension” “road friendly suspension” and “twin tyres” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 75(4), (5) and (6).”