20. GRB noted that the draft Regulation on quiet road transport vehicles (QRTV) (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/26) had been adopted by WP.29 and AC.1 at their March 2016 sessions and would enter into force as Regulation No. 138 in October 2016 (Depository Notification C.N.125.2016.TREATIES-XI.B.16 of 5 April 2016).

21. The expert from EC briefed GRB on how the technical and administrative provisions of Regulation No. 138 on the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) requirements would be incorporated in Annex VIII to EU Regulation No. 540/2014 (GRB-64-19).

22. The experts from Japan and OICA proposed an editorial change as well as further amendments to Regulation No. 138 to prohibit the pause function for AVAS (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2016/8, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2016/9 and GRB-64-03). These proposals were supported by the experts of Germany, Italy, Poland, United States of America and WBU. GRB adopted the proposals, as laid down in Annex V, and requested the secretariat to submit them WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration and vote at their March 2017 sessions as a draft Supplement 1 to the original series and a new draft 01 series of amendments to Regulation No. 138.

23. The expert from France, in his capacity of Co-chair of the IWG on a Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV) Regulation under 1958 Agreement, reported on the status of QRTV-related work (GRB-64-14).

24. The expert from the United States of America, in his capacity of Chair of IWG on QRTV Global Technical Regulation (GTR), informed GRB that the national Rule on AVAS was expected to be published in October or November 2016 and that the AVAS pause switch would be prohibited in the national Rule. He further indicated that IWG on QRTV GTR, which had suspended its activities pending the publication of the United States Rule, would need more time to fulfil its mandated tasks. GRB invited its Chair to request WP.29, at its session in November 2016, to extend the mandate of IWG on QRTV GTR until December 2018.

25. The expert from OICA presented the outcome of their survey of owners (drivers) of a specific electric vehicle model on their experiences with AVAS (GRB-64-20 and GRB-64-21). GRB welcomed the study and called for more AVAS surveys, in particular of vulnerable road users (e.g. cyclists, pedestrians, blind or people with impaired vision).