DO SPLITTER VANS REQUIRE TACHOGRAPHS AND OPERATOR LICENCES?
There has been a good deal of confusion recently about whether vans hired for ski holidays need to be operated under an Operator Licence and fitted with a tachograph when travelling in Europe. Let's clear this up.
The short answer for most people hiring a van for a ski trip is that they don't.
Why is there confusion?
When the Trade & Cooperation Agreement between the UK and EU (the Brexit deal) came into force, it introduced a requirement that from mid-2023 vans with a Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of over 2,500kg used for transporting goods for hire or reward in the EU would need to operate with a tachograph and under an International Operator Licence. Previously, this requirement only applied to vehicles over 3,500kg.
Many passenger vans used for ski holidays have a Maximum Authorised Mass of up to 3,500kg, so understandably this change caused concern among travellers and vehicle hire customers.
What does "hire or reward" mean?
The key point is understanding what is meant by "hire or reward".
Hire or reward applies when a vehicle is being used to transport goods on behalf of someone else in exchange for payment. In other words, it generally relates to commercial transport operations where a business is paid to move another person's goods.
If you are hiring a van to travel to a ski resort with your family or friends, carrying your own luggage, ski equipment and personal belongings, this is not considered hire or reward. You are transporting your own property for your own purposes, so an Operator Licence and tachograph are not normally required.
What if I'm driving a hired van carrying other members of my group's equipment?
This also does not usually require an Operator Licence or tachograph, provided the trip is private and non-commercial.
Whether you're the designated driver for your group, organising transport for friends, or sharing driving duties, the vehicle is being used for personal travel rather than commercial haulage. The luggage and ski equipment being carried belong to the travellers using the vehicle, and no transport service is being provided for payment.
In summary
For the vast majority of customers hiring a van for a ski holiday:
No International Operator Licence is required.
No tachograph is required.
Carrying your own luggage, skis and snowboards is not considered transport for hire or reward.
Private holiday travel is not treated in the same way as commercial goods transport.
As long as the vehicle is being used for a private ski trip and not for a commercial transport operation, the Operator Licence and tachograph rules that apply to haulage businesses will not normally affect your journey.