Department for Transport issue Traffic Commissioner consultation

The Department for Transport has issued a new consultation on the vehicle operator licensing system which is due to come into force by 1 April 2020.  NALC will be responding.

Context & proposals

The Government wishes to introduce formal tribunal rules to allow traffic commissioners to deal with cases fairly and justly.  Public Sector Vehicle (PSV) operator licences are considered in chapter 1.  Formal tribunal rules are examined in chapter 2.   NALC is minded to highlight:

1. Its position that local councils should be statutory consultees at all stages during traffic commissioner cases.
2. Its position that the Government needs to consult with local councils on HGV parking sites in suitably sustainable locations within their boundaries; &
3. Its position that the Government needs to introduce measures to make it easier to de-criminalise breaches of parking regulation for the purposes of allowing local councils to enforce those regulations. 

Consultation questions

NALC will be responding to the below consultation questions and is interested in the sector’s views:

Question 1 Do you agree with changing PSV operator licence procedures so that applicants can have operational approval at the earliest opportunity (subject to normal safeguards)?

Question 3 Do you agree that introducing formal tribunal rules will be beneficial to the Traffic Commissioner's tribunal functions? If No, you are against tribunal rules introduction because?

Your views

Please email your responses to this consultation to by 17.00 on Tuesday 11 June, 2019.  County associations are asked to forward this e-briefing onto all member councils in their areas.