perators' :ensing, 2
Page 46
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SONS HOLDING certain essional qualifications are iidered "professionally ipetent" for the purposes of rators' licensing. I explained in my last article. Anyone qualified in this way, who les to obtain a standard rator's licence must sit, and 3., an examination set by the al Society of Arts. A detailed tbus, price 60p, may be lined from the Society, at ray Road, Orpington, Kent, phone number: Orpington ?I.
trious colleges and training blishments run courses on subject and for those who er to study at home there are espondence courses
cling one run in conjunction CM.
he examination is designed )e within the grasp of didates whose education • esponds to the level
-nally reached at school ,ing age. Questions are of the tiple choice type, that is, the didate is required to indicate right answer from a choice • !ri to him.
pplication for an 0-licence is le to the Licensing Authority for the area from which the vehicle will operate. In deciding whether to grant a licence the LA will consider the following points: 1. Is the applicant a fit person to hold a licence? His past record, including convictions for any offence relating to the roadworthiness of vehicles„loading or overloading, driver's hours or records, or plating and testing, will be considered.
2, Are there satisfactory facilities and arrangements for the maintenance of his vehicles in a fit and serviceable condition? The LA will also have to be satisfied that the proper maintenance of the vehicle will not be prejudiced by insufficient financial resources. This is probably the most important of all the matters about which the LA has to consider and it will be dealt with at greater length later.
3, Will there be satisfactory arrangements for ensuring that the law relating to drivers' hours of work and records will be complied with.
4, What arrangement will be made to ensure the vehicles are not overloaded? 5, Is the operating centre suitable for the purpose?
6, In the case of an application for a standard licence, has the applicant sufficient financial resources for the proper operation of the business?
In addition, if the application is for a standard licence, that applicant will have to provide proof of his, or a full-time manager's, professional competence. The LA may decide to hold a public inquiry in order to satisfy himself on these points.
Details of applications for 0licences are published by the LA in a booklet called Applications and Decisions. Applications appearing in this booklet may be objected to by the following bodies: i A Chief Officer of Police ii A local authority iii The Freight Transport Association iv The Road Haulage Association v The General and Municipal Workers' Union vi The National Union of Railwaymen vii The Transport and General Workers' Union viii The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers ix The United Road Transpo Union.
Objections can be made, however, only on the ground that one of the conditions on which the LA must be satisfiel will not be complied with. Ar objection could be made, for example, on the grounds the the applicant has recent convictions for vehicle overloading or that he is not financially sound.
Regulation 9 of the Goods Vehicles (Operators' Licences) Regulations 1977 states that objections to the grant of an operator's licence must be in writing in the form set out ir Schedule 2 to the Regulation; and must reach the LA not lat( than three weeks after notice c the application has appeared i As and Ds. A copy of the objection must be sent to thE applicant at the same time as is sent to the LA.
Applications for an 0-licenc must be sent to the LA not le.5. than nine weeks before the dal on which the licence is require( on special forms available fror his office.
To allow for growth in the s12 of the fleet, an applicant can as for additional vehicles to be authorised when he first appliE for his licence or on renewal. these additional vehicles are authorised, the operator need only notify the LA when he adc a vehicle to his fleet. The LA must be told about the extra vehicle within a month of thE operator acquiring it. One mu( be realistic when asking for additional vehicles. It would t unwise to ask for more vehicle than the number that can be properly maintained as this ma delay the grant of the licence