The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has said that “more budgetary control” would help Traffic Commissioners to overcome resourcing issues which have led to delays to their services in recent years.
The call comes after a consultation into the role, current duties, responsibilities and staffing of the Office of the Traffic Commissioner, which concluded on 8 September.
CPT argues that the ability of Traffic Commissioners to process PSV licences, register local bus services, and ensure Public Inquiries and conduct hearings are fair and transparent is being constrained by resource availability and staffing. This, it adds, has in turn led to delays to operators receiving a decision on important matters.
Responsibility for the provision of Traffic Commissioners’ support staff is delegated to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). CPT argues that Traffic Commissioners should be given more budgetary control and independence from DVSA, and that this would allow them to address issues around staffing and resources.
“Traffic Commissioners have unrivalled knowledge of the PSV industry and are experts on the issues in their local area,” says CPT’s Operations Director Keith McNally. “Their role is vital to many functions across our sector, from making sure bus registrations are held centrally to providing fair, transparent hearings in cases of misconduct or Public Inquiries.
“Staffing and resourcing issues have in the past led to delays to the Traffic Commissioners being able to provide their services, but we know they have always worked to reduce delays as much as possible. They must now be given more budgetary control so they can continue to perform their role in a timely manner.”
