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Let's talk strategy
Page 3
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It's nice to be asked. Having received an invitation from Senior Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown to comment
-4'01 on 'Traffic Commissioners: Driving Forward a Modernised 1 Licensing System A Strategy for 2009 and Beyond', that's
exactly what we intend to do. And an expanded version of our
I' remarks will soon be winging its way back to the Senior TC. .)The purpose of the strategy document, as far as CM can determine, is to give the role of the Traffic Commissioners a clearer definition and focus for the 21st century. Somewhat surprisingly, it's -...the first formal high-level strategy document to be produced on behalf of the TCs-.
It touches on a number of key areas, not least funding. In this day and age it seems strange that the office of the TCs should be reliant on VOSA for funding. It's not as if VOSA hasn't got its own problems when it comes to persuading the Department for Transport for money for enforcing and educating the nation's truck operators.
Meanwhile, under the current system a proportion of the fees raised by the 0-licensing system funds the TCs and the Traffic Area Offices (what's left of them). And that source of finance is a declining well-spring. By the time we get out of the current recession the number of operators left to cover that cost is likely to have gone down, not up. So who will provide any shortfall? The DT? VOSA? Our guess is that, in time, 0-licensing fees will go up.
And if the cost of obtaining and maintaining an 0-licence does increase, then operators will want to see value for money. Looking through the strategy document we're struck by the phrase that -Traffic Commissioners do not seek to burden the well-run, compliant operator." Nor should they. The TCs' job is actually quite simple. Clobber the bad guys, help the good guys and do it in the most cost-effective way. Not a bad
strategy, really...
Brian Weatherley