Operators of the Citroen Nemo, Fiat Fiorino and Peugeot Bipper are being alerted to the fact their vehicles are subject to lower speed limits on dual carriageways and single-lane A-roads.
BusinessCar is aware of a trio of cases where drivers were stopped by police for doing speeds acceptable for most light vans, but, due to an anomaly in the rules, not these three, which must not exceed 50mph on single-lane roads and 60mph on dual carriageways.
The law states that “car-derived vans up to a 2.0t max laden weight” can drive at the same speed as cars, but despite having passenger car versions, the Fiat, Citroen and Peugeot vehicles aren’t classified as car-derived vans because they were homologated for sale first as commercial vehicles.
They are the only vehicles, outside of microvans, on sale in the UK that have a GVW of below 2.0t yet are subject to the lower speed limits, and the lack of clarity has caught out some drivers.
The three BusinessCar knows about were doing speeds that would not have attracted police attention in a car-derived van such as the Citroen Berlingo.
A police source told What Van? it’s a situation forces are aware of, and officers could use their discretion on a case-by-case basis.
A Peugeot source told What Van? that discussions are ongoing between Peugeot and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to close off the issue.
“We all know it’s a nonsense but it’s about getting the message through so the right people understand,” said our contact. “It needs a bit of lobbying to bring it to attention.”
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