A vehicle that was deemed too large for the Island's roads by Transport Minister Ewart Brown earlier this year has been given the green light by the Transport Control Department.

The Honda CRV sports utility vehicle was brought to the Island by HWP Group in March and is 182 inches long from the front bumper to the rear wheel. The legal limit is 175 inches.

TCD director Randy Brangman yesterday said all CRV vehicles were now roadworthy.

"They are all slightly over the legal limit but it is not that great," Brangman said. "Only a half or quarter inch."

But when asked about the seven-inch discrepancy, Mr. Brangman said it was common practice at TCD to measure vehicles from bumper to bumper, even though it was legislated that car length should include everything ? including spare wheels.

"The Minister has the discretion whether we measure bumper to bumper or not," he said. "It has only ever been an issue with the CRV. It has never been an issue before now."

As a result CRV vehicles with the rear spare wheel will be passed at TCD, he said.

"The ones here already, we will grandfather those. We had a meeting with the dealers in October," Mr. Brangman said. "In good faith we decided not to penalise those vehicles already coming in, however, all subsequent vehicles will have to comply and have to be imported with the spare wheel off."

Since July, 169 more CRVs ? each with a price tag of $45,000 ? have been sold, bringing the total up to 239 on the road ? an average of 28 new CRV vehicles per month in the last six months.

HWP general manager Alan Brooks said yesterday all new Honda CRV vehicles will now be sold with an internal spare tyre. "There was a challenge about the length of the vehicle and this is a repercussion. Basically we were invited to come up with an alternative solution," Mr. Brooks said. "We brought in a different panel for the rear of the vehicle so the customer could not fit a spare tyre onto it. It was done with the blessing of the Ministry." Permanent Secretary of Tourism and Transport Marc Telemaque would not comment yesterday.