Senior Traffic Commissioner issues reminder that ultimate responsibility for compliance rests with you
If you manage it well, the rest of the company should follow.
But you need to be satisfied the relevant standards are being met.
To do this, you can follow these simple steps:
- PLAN – be aware of operator licence duties and risks
- DO – don’t leave transport to run itself, have management systems in place from the start
- CHECK – get routine and incident-led reports on performance and compliance
- ACT – undertake regular reviews through auditing and take forward recommendations
There are O licence consequences for directors who neglect their responsibilities. At a public inquiry last year, a director’s repute was tarnished and the company’s licence curtailed because the director hadn’t placed a high enough importance on compliance.
The director had employed qualified staff but didn’t have enough knowledge to check the systems and paperwork. He also couldn’t provide support and guidance to his transport manager.
Darran Harris Solicitor & Director of CheckedSafe says
” This bulletin from the Traffic Commissioners office makes it clear that as a business owner, while you can employ others to assist with the running of the business, you cannot simply abdicate responsibility to your staff. It is clear that you need robust systems in place to monitor the business and keep on top of compliance. That is the primary reason CheckedSafe was developed. Used properly CheckedSafe aims to give you a legally defensible position by keeping you compliant. Why take a risk for £1 per week per vehicle”
