Dip examiners to be examined
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• Traffic examiners could face examination by a traffic inspectorate if proposals in a new Department of Transport review are implemented.
Under the proposals all traffic examiners and achninistrative staff would be responsible to the licensing authority clerk.
The review, commissioned by the Roadfreight division of the Department of Transport, has met with a mixed reaction from the Society of Civil and Public Servants. The union welcomes the review as a very fair deal, but fears that the recommendations will not be acted upon.
The union is particularly attracted to the proposal for an annual enforcement plan, based upon traffic area plans, which synchronises annual manpower and budgeting allocations throughout the country. This plan would specify a minimum number of checks on HGVs, PSVs and foreign vehicles and set out special Ministerial and Licensing Authority requirements.
The Department of Transport also proposes the establishment of special top-level prosecutions, and the conviction of most guilty-plea cases.
A standard prosecution procedure is envisaged, which would leave the decision to prosecute in the hands of the senior traffic examiner, who would be helped by a uniform administrative points system linking magistrates' fines and LA prosecutions.
It is hoped that the package of proposals will provide greater consistency in the LAs' approach to prosecution, prohibition and licensing policy.