2.—In this Act—

the expression “the Minister” means the Minister for Industry and Commerce;

the expression “the Act of 1932” means the Road Transport Act, 1932 (No. 2 of 1932);

the expression “mails” includes mail bags and postal packets (other than telegrams) as defined in the Post Office Act, 1908;

the expression “merchandise” includes goods, wares, minerals and animals, but does not include passenger’s luggage or mails;

the expression “mechanically propelled vehicle” does not include a railway engine or a tramcar or other vehicle running on permanent rails;

F1[…]

the expression “merchandise road transport” means the carriage for reward by road in mechanically propelled vehicles or in vehicles drawn by mechanically propelled vehicles of merchandise and includes, so far as they are carried on by means of such vehicles, the services of collection and delivery of merchandise hitherto carried on by railway, canal, and shipping companies, as ancillary or subsidiary to their main undertakings, or by agents on behalf of such companies, but does not include—

(a) the carriage of merchandise by passenger road services licensed under the Act of 1932, or

(b) the carriage of mails by or under contract with F2[An Post], or

(c) the carriage of merchandise by means of any vehicle primarily provided for the carriage of mails where and to the extent to which the carriage of merchandise by means of such vehicle is permitted under the contract made with F2[An Post];

the expression “authorised (merchandise carrying) company” means a company to which Part III of the Act of 1932 applies and which is entitled by virtue of section 28 of the Act of 1932 to engage in or carry on the business of carrying merchandise by road.

the expression “authorised (passenger carrying) company” means a company to which Part III of the Act of 1932 applies and which is entitled by virtue of section 28 of the Act of 1932 to engage in or carry on the business of carrying passengers by road;

the expression “shipping company” means a person carrying on a regular steamer service to or from a port in Saorstát Eireann;

the expression “vehicle plate” means a plate of that name issued under Part II of this Act;

the word “lorry” means a mechanically propelled vehicle fitted with a body designed and constructed for the carriage of merchandise;

the word “tractor” means a mechanically propelled vehicle which—

(a) is not a lorry, and

(b) is constructed and designed for the traction of another vehicle;

the expression “the registration book” in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle means the registration book for such vehicle issued under the Roads Act, 1920 F3[or a copy of the registration particulars of such vehicle issued by the authority by which such vehicle was licensed under the Roads Act, 1920];

the expression “passenger road service” has the same meaning as in the Act of 1932, as amended by this Act;

the expressions “passenger licence” and “annual passenger licence” have the same meanings respectively as in the Act of 1932;

the expression “unladen weight” in relation to a mechanically propelled vehicle means the unladen weight specified in the registration book which relates to such vehicle;

the word “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act.