The senior traffic commissioner (TC) has warned UK hauliers to keep their qualifications and development up to date.
Richard Turfitt said that key staff, such as transport managers, should be proactive in keeping current with new guidance on haulage regulations.
He said this particularly applied to those whose qualification is more than 10 years old; those who have not worked for an operator for the past five years; or anybody who is called before a public inquiry (PI).
Turfitt made his remarks after the TCs completed a revision of statutory documents following a consultation which was completed this summer.
The changes include clearer guidance on what will happen if someone uses an operator’s licence without authority (the practice of ‘fronting’), greater emphasis on the importance of accurate applications, a new section on support for tribunal users, updated guidance on what happens when periods of grace expire and a new section on driver employment status.
Turfitt said: “It is important that we get the balance right, so that irresponsible people, who ignore the safety of other road users, do not put compliant businesses at a disadvantage. These documents demonstrate our commitment to transparency in the way we make our decisions. On this occasion the majority of changes are dictated by the case law rather than a debate on policy. There is a heavy emphasis on providing continuity but the responses received have helped us to try and clarify our approach to regulation.”
The new statutory guidance can be found on the TC’s website.
