Bus and Coach Association claims of s19 permit use on contracts are passed over to DVSA by force
Allegations made by the Bus and Coach Association (BCA) that North Lincolnshire Council has used vehicles operated under section 19 permits to undertaken its own home-to-school contracts have been forwarded to DVSA.
The BCA claims that doing so is illegal. It points out that South Wales-based community transport organisation DANSA was issued with a pair of £300 fixed penalty notices for doing the same with two of its vehicles earlier this year. That was the first fine issued under such circumstances.
Humberside Police has passed the matter on to the DVSA to investigate and says that it will not be taking any further action.
A taxi operator in Scunthorpe raised the matter with the police. All the information provided has now been forwarded to the DVSA, says the force, which agrees that “if the law is being breached… it should be investigated.”
However, it adds that “it is simply a matter of the DVSA being better placed to look into this than Humberside Police. Please be assured that it has sufficient powers to bring a prosecution of one is warranted.”
North Lincolnshire Council holds a PSV O-Licence for 10 vehicles.
