MOTOR TRACTORS ġ S.L.65.08 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 65.08
MOTOR TRACTORS REGULATIONS
14th May, 1979
LEGAL NOTICE 50 of 1979, as amended by Legal Notices: 61 of 1979,
62 of 1981, 4 of 1985, 45 of 1993, 135 of 1998, and 82 and 406 of 2003. 
Title. 
Regulations.
Interpretation.
Amended by:
L.N. 62 of 1981;
L.N. 135 of 1998;
L.N. 82 of 2003.
2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise
requires-
"Customs area or station" means any area designated as a
Customs area or as a Customs station by the Comptroller of
Customs;
"container" means any transport equipment intended for
containing goods imported into or exported out of Malta, and which
shall be of not less than one cubic metre capacity, and includes a
movable tank or any similar structure of the same capacity;
"groupage consignment" means a consolidated consignment of
goods carried on any trailer, heavy commercial vehicle or any other
commercial vehicle loaded with a container and destined for more
than one consignee;
"trailer" means any vehicle without mechanical power of its own
designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle and intended for the
purpose of the carriage of goods and is of a carrying capacity of
over three tonnes, when such goods are being carried following
importation or for the purpose of exportation;
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Police and
includes, other than in regulations 6, 7, 10 and 12 hereof, any
police officer authorised by him to act on his behalf;
"motor tractor" means any motor vehicle which is not
constructed in such a manner as to carry itself any load, but is
intended for towing any trailer;
S.L. 65.11
"motor vehicle" has the same meaning as is assigned to it in the
Motor Vehicles Regulations;
"commercial vehicle" means any motor vehicle constructed or
adapted for use for towing or for the carriage of goods or burden of
any kind or description of less than nine metres in over-all length; 
"heavy commercial vehicle" means any commercial vehicle
constructed or adapted for the towing or for the carriage of goods
or burden of any kind or description of not less than nine metres in
overall length, and includes any motor tractor intended for the
towing of any trailer the carrying capacity of which exceeds ten
tonnes, and any mobile concrete mixer the capacity of which
exceeds twenty tonnes.
2 ġ S.L.65.08 MOTOR TRACTORS
Motor tractors and 
trailers to be 
registered and 
licensed.
3. No motor tractor and no trailer, in either case if owned or
operated by a person normally residing in Malta, shall be on the
road unless it is registered with the Commissioner and is covered
by a licence issued by him.
Registration and 
issue of licence.
4. (1) The Commissioner shall not register nor license any
motor tractor, trailer, commercial vehicle or heavy commercial
vehicle unless he is satisfied that such tractor, trailer, commercial
vehicle or heavy commercial vehicle, as the case may be, is of the
specifications required by international standards and is certified as
being mechanically and structurally fit by an engineer approved for
the purpose by the Commissioner.
(2) If at any time it shall come to the knowledge of the
Commissioner that the tractor, trailer, commercial vehicle or heavy
commercial vehicle does no longer comply with any of the
conditions referred to in sub-regulation (1) of this regulation, the
Commissioner shall withdraw the relative licence.
Landing of motor 
tractors and 
trailers., etc.
5. No motor tractor, no trailer, no commercial vehicle and no
heavy commercial vehicle shall be allowed to be landed in Malta
unless it carries a certificate of ownership containing the engine
number (where applicable), the chassis number, the gross laden
weight, the axle weight and such other particulars as the
Commissioner may, from time to time, require.
Maximum overall 
length and gross 
overall weight.
Amended by:
L.N. 61 of 1979;
L.N. 4 of 1985.
6. (1) No motor tractor and trailer and no heavy commercial
vehicle shall be allowed to be driven on any road in Malta if its
overall length exceeds eighteen metres, or if its total gross laden
weight exceeds thirty-two tonnes, in the case of vehicles with three
or more axles or twenty-five tonnes in the case of vehicles with less
than three axles:
Provided that the Commissioner may, in exceptional cases
and on good grounds being shown, allow a vehicle of a higher total
gross laden weight to be driven on the roads of Malta on such
conditions as he may deem fit to impose.
S.L. 35.09
(2) If any member of the Police Force shall have a reasonable
cause to suspect that the gross laden weight of any motor tractor
and trailer or of any heavy commercial vehicle exceeds the weight
established in accordance with sub-regulation (1) of this regulation,
he may stop and examine such motor tractor and trailer or heavy
commercial vehicle and may direct the driver of such vehicle to
have the vehicle weighed at the Customs Weigh Bridge, and if the
weight of the motor tractor and trailer, or of the heavy commercial
vehicle proves at such weighing to exceed the weight established in
accordance with sub-regulation (1) of this regulation, the owner
and the driver thereof shall, without prejudice to any criminal or
other liability, be liable  in solidum  to pay to the Commissioner of
Police, for such weighing a sum equivalent to the fees established
in accordance with the Fees (Customs Weighers) Regulations, for
the weighing under the said regulations of the vehicles of the type
referred to in this regulation.
Route to be 
followed by 
tractor, etc.
7. No heavy commercial vehicle, tractor with attached trailer
or any other commercial vehicle while loaded with a container shall
MOTOR TRACTORS ġ S.L.65.08 3
be driven on any road other than on a road bearing a sign allowing
transit of any such vehicle:
Provided that the Commissioner may, in exceptional cases
and on good grounds being shown, grant exemption from the above
provision on such conditions as he may deem fit to impose, and, in
any such case, it shall be escorted by the Police at the expense of
the owner thereof.
Responsibility for 
damages caused to 
roads, etc.
8. (1) The owner of any motor tractor, trailer, commercial
vehicle or heavy commercial vehicle shall be responsible for any
damage caused by the presence of such vehicle on the road.
(2) Any such vehicle shall not be allowed to be on the road in
Malta or to be landed in Malta, as the case may be, unless it is
covered by an insurance against any damage caused to a third party.
(3) No policy of insurance shall be accepted as valid for the
purposes of this regulation unless the insurers are lawfully
represented in Malta.
Motor tractors and 
trailers, etc., while 
in transit.
9. Saving the provision of regulation 5, motor tractors,
trailers, commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles
landed in Malta in transit only shall not be required to be registered
with and licensed by the Commissioner, unless they are based in
Malta and are operating therefrom.
Minimum number 
of units to operate 
abroad.
10. No person shall be allowed to operate as road haulier
abroad from Malta unless he owns not less than two motor tractors
and two trailers but not more than twenty motor tractors and twenty
trailers or unless he forms part of a company, association or co-
operative society which owns, in each case, not less than ten motor
tractors and ten trailers:
Provided that the Commissioner may, in his discretion,
grant an exemption from the provisions of this regulation.
Driver to be 
licensed.
S.L. 65.11
11. (1) No person shall drive in Malta any tractor, whether
with or without an attached trailer, or any commercial vehicle or
heavy commercial vehicle unless he is in possession of the relative
licence issued by the Commissioner in accordance with the
provisions of the Motor Vehicles Regulations.
(2) The provision of sub-regulation (1) of this regulation shall
not apply in the case of a person holding a driving licence issued by
the competent authority of a country which is a party to a
convention or other international agreement or arrangement, to
which Malta is also a party, covering the recognition of such
driving licences.
Authorised parking 
place and storage 
depot.
Substituted by:
L.N. 62 of 1981.
12. No person shall stop, whether temporarily or otherwise,
and leave unattended, or shall park any motor tractor and/or trailer
or any heavy commercial vehicle or other commercial vehicle
loaded with a container or leave a container in any road, yard, area
or open space whether enclosed or otherwise other than in an
authorised parking place or at an authorised container storage
depot: 
Provided that the Commissioner may in exceptional cases,
4 ġ S.L.65.08 MOTOR TRACTORS
in any particular case, and under such conditions as he may deem
fit to impose, grant an exemption from this provision:
Provided further that the Commissioner may also issue a
licence for empty containers to be parked or stacked in factory
grounds, whether privately owned or otherwise, as specified in
such licence, under such conditions as he may deem fit to impose.
Loading or 
unloading from 
trailer, etc.
Amended by:
L.N. 82 of 2003.
13. (1) No person shall stop at any place any trailer, any
heavy commercial vehicle, or any other commercial vehicle loaded
with a container, for the purpose of loading and/or unloading
except at such place and during such time as shall be established by
the Commissioner.
(2) No person shall unload a groupage consignment except at
such place and during such time as shall be established by the
Commissioner.
Parking or storage 
in authorised 
places.
Substituted by:
L.N. 62 of 1981.
14. No person shall park in any parking place any motor tractor
and/or trailer, any heavy commercial vehicle or other commercial
vehicle loaded with a container nor keep containers at any
authorised container storage depot unless he is specially authorised
to do so by the Commissioner under such conditions as the
Commissioner may deem fit to impose.
Leaving parking 
place or storage 
depot.
Substituted by:
L.N 62 of 1981.
15. No motor tractor, trailer, heavy commercial, vehicle or
other commercial vehicle loaded with a container, whether the
trailer or commercial vehicle is loaded or otherwise, shall leave the
authorised parking place, nor shall any container leave the storage
depot except for loading and shipment, without the permission of
the Commissioner.
Securing the 
container.
16. Every container loaded on a trailer or on any commercial
vehicle shall be secured to the satisfaction of the Commissioner. 
Power to remove.
Added by:
L.N. 4 of 1985.
17. (1) Without prejudice to any other liability that may be
incurred by the offender, the Commissioner shall have power to
remove any commercial vehicle, any heavy commercial vehicle,
any motor tractor, any trailer or any container obstructing or
otherwise causing any nuisance or inconvenience in any street,
road, quay, wharf or other public place in contravention of
regulation 12, 13, 14 or 15.
(2) The commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles,
motor tractors, trailers or containers removed by the Commissioner
in accordance with sub-regulation (1) of this regulation shall be
stored in such place as may be determined by the Commissioner,
and shall only be released to the owner or such other person
showing that he is entitled to receive such commercial vehicle,
heavy commercial vehicle, motor tractor, trailer or container upon
payment to the Commissioner of the fee in connection with the
removal and storage thereof as shown in the Schedule to these
Regulations.
(3) The Commissioner shall not be responsible for any damage
that may reasonably arise in connection or consequent to the
removal and storage of any motor vehicle or other thing removed in
accordance with this regulation.
MOTOR TRACTORS ġ S.L.65.08 5
Annual tests.
shall be subjected to an annual test by the Commissioner and to
such other tests as the Commissioner may, from time to time,
determine.
Contravention of 
these Regulations.
19. Any person who acts in contravention of any of these
Regulations shall be deemed to have so acted without being in
possession of the of the relative licence issued by the
Commissioner. 
Road circulation 
fee.
Amended by:
L.N. 135 of 1998.
20. Deleted by L.N. 406 of 2003.
Authorised parking 
place and container 
storage depot.
Amended by:
L.N. 62 of 1981. 
Substituted by:
L.N. 45 of 1993.
Amended by:
L.N. 82 of 2003.
21. (1) The  Ħal Far Container Depot shall be an authorised
parking place and a container storage depot for the purpose of these
regulations.
(2) The Hal Far Groupage Complex shall be an authorised
place for the unloading of groupage consignments.
Added by:
L.N. 4 of 1985.
SCHEDULE
(Regulation 17)
Fees payable in connection with the removal and storage of
commercial vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, motor tractors,
trailers or containers
(i) for the use of any towing, lifting or other
equipment ......................................................... Lm10
(ii) for the towing of the vehicle or other thing
removed to the place of storage, for every
kilometre or part thereof ................................... Lm5
(iii) for the storage of the vehicle or other thing
removed, for every day or part thereof ............... Lm3
