O-licence revocations likely, experts warn
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By Chris Tindall
OPERATORS ARE being urged to check their licensing status after lawyers warned revocation was on the cards if they had not returned their completed Transport Manager questionnaire.
The surveys were sent out to all standard and international licence holders in September 2011 requesting details about firms’ nominated transport managers, ahead of changes to licensing rules.
The questionnaire had to be filled in to comply with the law, but Andrew Woolfall, a solicitor at Backhouse Jones, said it had received calls from companies that have been told their O-licence will be revoked. “We have been contacted and have had dealings with the traffic area office in Leeds that confirmed this. What is clear is that they may be beginning to act on those who have not returned the form,” he added.
Woodfines partner Tim Ridyard said returning the surveys was fun damental. “I suspect some operators failed to understand the importance of this; post may have gone astray or Leeds did not have an upto-date address – if it is the latter, some operators may have brought difficulties upon themselves.” Transport lawyer Lucy Wood at Rothera Dowson said anyone unsure of whether the questionnaire was completed should check on Vosa’s O-licence website. “The names of all nominated transport managers were removed from the system and have only been reinstated if the questionnaire has been received. If yours hasn’t, you need to contact the Office of the Traffic Commissioners (OTC) as a matter of urgency,” she said.
An OTC spokesman said the majority of operators and transport managers had responded, but added: “A small proportion of goods licence holders have not, and the Central Licensing Office is referring those operators to the respective traffic commissioners for England, Scotland and Wales.”