Cash up front plan for new 0-licences
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by Amanda Bradbury and Karen Miles
• Department of Transport chiefs are considering making would-be hauliers pay a nonrefundable fee to have their 0licence applications processed.
The move is designed to discourage time-wasters who apply for licences without any real prospect of making a career in haulage: the scheme could recoup around £750.000 a year of the 12m deficit in the goods operator licensing account.
The illegal operations working group is also considering asking for a fee to be paid in advance for major variations to a licence.
At the moment there is no charge until a licence is granted.
The Road Haulage Association has welcomed the suggestion for new applicants, which could be introduced along with continuous 0-licensing as early as next year.
RHA director of operations Tim Inman says it would stop existing 0-licence holders having to subsidise applications from "no-hopers". Statistics from traffic area officers show that last year 1,410 new licence applications and 1,114 renewal applications were aborted by the applicant.
Inman, who meets the DOT this week, wants a guarantee from the department that (here will be no further hikes in licence fees: "I have no doubt that the £.2m deficit will be used as an excuse again, but if their book-balancing has been so had in the past now's the time to wipe the slate clean. Today's hauliers shouldn't be made to pay for yesterday's mistakes."