Paper O-licence application forms will cease to be downloadable from the internet in April as the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC)steps up its efforts to get hauliers to apply online rather than through the post.
The OTC said that paper applications take nine weeks to process as opposed so six weeks for online, so the change should benefit operators.
Research by the OTC suggests that the reason so many hauliers have continued to make paper applications since online applications became available is just habit. They do it because “that’s what they’ve always done”, said a spokesman.
However, paper application forms will still be available through the contact centre for operators who do not have access to digital services.
The spokesman said: “The traffic commissioners perform a really important gatekeeper role in deciding who gets to run vehicles and how many they can operate. That won’t change, because more applications are made online and can be processed more quickly.”
