27-06-06 VOSA Announce the Centralisation of Operator Licensing
Following a review by VOSA of its operations, the processing of Operator licence applications will be moving from existing Traffic Area Offices to a central processing unit in Leeds later this year.
Centralisation will deliver more consistent handling of applications and an improved service with one correspondence address for all operator licensing. All operators will be informed in writing of the full details nearer the time.
The central processing unit will support the existing Traffic Commissioners and their role as the independent Licensing Authority will not be affected. Licences will continue to be issued by the Traffic Commissioners with the central unit processing applications for licences under each Traffic Commissioners’ delegated authority.
Traffic Area boundaries will remain unchanged and Public Inquiries will continue to be held in the area of each Traffic Commissioner.
The centralisation process will be complete by March 2007.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
There are seven Traffic Commissioners covering eight traffic areas throughout Great Britain. Each Traffic Commissioner is appointed to cover a specified Traffic Area.
Traffic Commissioners are independent statutory Licensing Authorities appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport. Each Traffic Commissioner is supported by a number of deputies.
Traffic Commissioners have four main tasks:
• to ensure that good vehicles are operated from environmentally suitable sites;
• to licence and to monitor the fitness of individuals or companies to operate goods vehicles, buses and coaches (public service vehicles) and where necessary to take disciplinary action against them if they fail to meet the legally imposed standards of good repute, financial standing or professional competence;
• to register local bus services; and
• to take disciplinary action against drivers of goods and passenger vehicles when they have committed driving or other non-endorsable offences.
VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) is responsible for:
• Processing applications for licences to operate lorries and buses and registering bus services
• Operating and administering testing schemes for all vehicles, including the supervision of the MOT testing scheme
• Enforcing the law on vehicles to ensure that they comply with legal standards and regulations
• Enforcing drivers' hours and licensing requirements
• Supporting Traffic Commissioners to help them make informed decisions on operator licensing, vocational drivers and bus registration requirements
• Providing training and advice for commercial operators
• Investigating vehicle accidents, defects and recalls
For media enquiries about VOSA, please contact: Henry Norman on 0117 954 3208/henry.norman@vosa.gov.uk or Zita Galambosi on 0117 954 2561 / zita.galambosi@vosa.gov.uk. For media enquiries about the Traffic Commissioners please contact Alex Roberts on 0117 954 3286 / Alexander.roberts@vosa.gov.uk
Page last updated: 03/10/2006