Senior traffic commissioner, Beverley Bell is urging truck operators to keep enforcement agencies informed when they act upon improvement notices.

The Road Haulage Association has been contacted by Bell, with the request that members should be reminded that if they are issued with an improvement notice by an enforcement agency, the agency in question must be notified that the improvements have been implemented.

In her letter to RHA chief executive Richard Burnett, Bell said: “I want to remind your members that they are required to notify the traffic commissioner of all material changes. Failure to do so may result in regulatory action being taken against their licence in accordance with section 26(1) h of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995.”

By way of clarification, Bell has made an amendment to paragraph 51 of Statutory Document No.1 (repute) to make this requirement clearer;

"Other conduct, such as a failure to heed instructions from enforcement agencies or police officers, attempts to circumvent the licensing system, recurring civil penalties, enforcement notices and breaches of other enforcement regimes such as the Home Office code of practice on preventing clandestine entrants, will also have a serious impact on repute. In such circumstances a traffic commissioner might be prompted to attach further conditions at grant or to seek undertakings to ensure compliance with those codes."

Richard Burnett added: “We appreciate this approach from the traffic commissioner to clarify this important point. The RHA has always been proud of its status of representing professional hauliers and their good repute is vital in maintaining the high standards needed to keep them compliant.”

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