1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164 
Brown urges government to preserve TCs' independenu
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
EXCLUSIVE II by Emma Penny
Senior Traffic Commissioner designate Philip Brown is urging the government to tread carefully over the merger of the Vehicle Inspectorate and the Traffic Area Offices, and so ensure the independence of the TCs.
Giving CMan exclusive interview, Brown says the merger is the biggest challenge he faces in the run up to taking over from Michael Betts on 4 March.
When the merger was first mooted in August, lawyers raised concerns that the TCs might lose their independence. Brown says the TCs have already raised this issue with the government: We have urged the government to seek legal advice to ensure it is, as far as is possible, constitutionally human rights-compatible and complies with the principles of natural justice."
Transport lawyer James Backhouse says that for the TCs to remain independent their staff, who currently deal with issues such as licensing, must remain as employees of the TCs' offices, rather than being part of a merged TAN/VI.
Backhouse adds that it would be unfair if VI staff—who take operators to Public Inquiries—also deal with issuing 0-licences. Brown stresses that TCs want to ensure the compliance and licensing side of their work is carried out effectively on their behalf.
The TCs are not directly involved in the merger: they are only consultees in the exercise. The Department for Transport is managing the project and will make the final decisions. However, Brown believes that if the DoT plans and manages the project well, the merger will be a success.
"There needs to be a lot of time and expertise invested in ensuring that's what we end up with," he concludes, "It needs careful handling and to be well pianned. That's the key to it all. If it's well planned and decisions are taken on all of the information available then it will work— and I am very positive about it" No-one at the DoT felt able to comment on the merger.
• The Freight Transport Association has written to Philip Brown as new Senior IC designate asking him to continue
Michael Botts' efforts to ore consistency across the se, Traffic Areas.
Bob Armstrong at the says the association weicon the appointment: "We are v, supportive of the concept o senior TC with a co-ordinal role to create a consistency approach. We hope he takes where Michael Betts has left Ten years ago there was more disparity between traffic areas in terns of di sion making and enforcemi
"It's not perfect now but much better than it was."
Armstrong adds ti although only some 7% of op ators have a licence in in than one Traffic Area, most them run large fleets. reports that the FTA and Be have already begun thrash out a way for large firms v operating centres in more U one Traffic Area to deal wit single TAO in order to slim] paperwork.