The commercial road transport industry is regulated by Traffic Commissioners who have both a regulatory and a judicial role in administrating their responsibilities.
Their judicial role is undertaken through the Pubic Inquiry system where operators can be called before them in a courtroom where the errant operator will have their case considered and should the Traffic Commissioner consider that a penalty is appropriate then sanctions will be made against the operator.
The sanctions available to the Traffic Commissioner are:
- Curtailment - reducing the number of vehicles allowed to be operated (either perminantly or for a stated period.
- Suspension - preventing the operation of vehicles for a stated period of time.
- Revocation - removing the right to operate vehicles perminantly although in some cases a new application for an operator licence may be allowed after a stated period (although their is no gurantee this will be successful).
- Put conditions on the licence - these can be restriction on movement in and out of the operating centre, requiring proff of financial standard in a few months time, a requirement that the Transport Manager, Directors, Partners or owner attend a training course which may be the CPC refresher or OLAC courses stated below or in some cases require the full CPC examination to be sat and passed within a stated time. We are finding an increased requirement to ensure Engineering staff have a recognised qualification (frequently an IRTEC qualification)
- In the passenger side of the industry only, a fine can be imposed for failure to operate registered bus service to the submitted timetable.
Any of these sanctions can be deverstating to the business and every precaution should be taken to avoid being called to one.
Remember, anyone can attend to watch, your customers, your competitors, the press and members of the general public. You are on public view as one of the most difficult times of your life.
We at PTS have years of success in providing systems and working with operators to keep them compliant, keeping you away from having to attend a Public Inquiry.
