FTA: Haulage license changes not necessary
Date: 19 October 2007
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Radical changes in the governance of freight haulage vehicle licenses are not necessary.
That's according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA), which rejected government proposals to delegate operator licensing direct to the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
The freight group believes that the current system with a statutory role for the Senior Traffic Commissioner, and the establishment of a separate bus industry regulator, would be preferable.
FTA director of policy James Hookham said it would be "entirely inappropriate and unacceptable" for VOSA to effectively act as both judge and jury on one hand, and policemen on the other.
VOSA is the primary enforcement agency that carries out tests and roadside checks, and to give it responsibility for making decisions on the actual issue and management of operator licenses would be a step too far.
"The separate operation of these functions by the Traffic Commissioners and VOSA is fair and works reasonably well at present - albeit both organisations requiring increased funding," said Mr Hookham.
"The current arrangements should be allowed to continue. The Department [for Transport] has failed to show that the system for HGV licensing is broken so we don't believe it needs fixing in this way."
The FTA is also opposed to introducing time-limited, reviewable contracts for Traffic Commissioners (TCs), and rejects an increase in fees to pay for new TC governing structures.
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