Senior Traffic Commissioner wants views on how laws applied

A consultation has been launched on proposed changes to how Traffic Commissioners apply the law when regulating the commercial fleet industry.

The Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain are independent specialist regulators, with responsibility for the licensing and regulation of commercial vehicle operators and regulating the conduct of professional drivers in the lorry, bus and coach industries.

The Senior Traffic Commissioner’s statutory documents comprise of statutory guidance and statutory directions. 

They describe how traffic commissioners may apply the law and a balanced approach to the exercise of their regulatory powers and are used by operators, transport managers, drivers and those that represent them.

Changes being consulted include the requirement to make sure financial evidence is current and financial calculations are conducted consistently to ensure fairness to all applicants for an operator’s licence.

There would also be a reminder to operators and transport managers of the regulatory regime that they enter into when applying for a licence and the approach traffic commissioners will take when considering regulatory action.

Furthermore, in considering feedback from fleets about the way transport manager applications are assessed, the starting points for assessing capacity have been amended to place more emphasis on continuous and effective management and less emphasis on elements such as travel time.

The 2022 Revisions consultation closes on January 16, 2023.