Beverley Bell in resignation letter questions the DfT’s backing of Traffic Commissioners and their work
Towards the end of her time as Senior Traffic Commissioner (STC), Beverley Bell called into question the Department for Transport’s (DfT) support for “the vitally important work” that her former colleagues continue to do, routeone can reveal.
In Mrs Bell’s resignation letter, dated 28 February and addressed to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and obtained via a Freedom of Information request, she tells Mr Grayling that the “vital” backing required from the DfT has not always been forthcoming, and how that played a part in her decision to resign.
Addressing Mr Grayling, she says: “I regret to inform you that, over the years, we have not always had that support, and I [also] regret to inform you that this has been a key factor in my decision to step down before I reach retirement age.”
Although Mrs Bell says that it is positive that most people will not have heard of the TCs, she adds that the DfT’s support should be expressed “in the most public of ways. To do anything other than that will irreparably undermine a jurisdiction that has survived and thrived for 85 years.”
Mrs Bell adds that the pace of change, principally new technology and new demands on operators and TCs alike, has become so rapid that TCs struggle to keep up.
“While the O-Licence legislation still serves the needs of operators, it does, in my view, need a complete review to ensure that it remains fit for purpose as we move towards 2020 and beyond and all of the challenges that the coming year will bring.”
She pays tribute to her fellow TCs and the staff who act on their behalf, but adds that the DfT must protect the regulatory regime because “TCs increasingly find themselves under attack from those operators who have no intention of running in a compliant manner and who will resort to any lengths to bring about the downfall of public regulators.”
Mrs Bell stepped down from both the STC and North West TC roles on 31 May.
