Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981

Section 14(2) and 17(6).

SCHEDULE 3E+W+S Supplementary Provision as to Qualifications for PSV Operator’s Licence

Good reputeE+W+S

1(1)In determining whether an individual is of good repute, [F1a traffic commissioner] shall have regard to all the relevant evidence and in particular to—E+W+S

(a)relevant convictions of his and of his employees and agents;

[F2(aa)relevant fixed penalty notices issued to him and to his employees and agents;] and

(b)such other information as the [F3commissioner] may have as to his previous conduct, in whatever capacity, in relation to the operation of vehicles of any description in the course of a business.

(2)In determining whether a company is of good repute, [F1a traffic commissioner] shall have regard to all the relevant evidence and in particular to—

(a)relevant convictions of the company and its officers, employees and agents;

[F4(aa)relevant fixed penalty notices issued to the company's officers, employees and agents;] and

(b)such other information as the [F3commissioner] may have as to previous conduct of—

(i)the company’s officers, employees and agents in relation to the operation of vehicles of any description in the course of any business carried on by the company; and

(ii)each of the company’s directors, in whatever capacity, in relation to the operation of vehicles of any description in the course of any other business.

[F5(2A)In sub-paragraphs (1)(aa) and (2)(aa) above “relevant fixed penalty notice” means a fixed penalty notice or conditional offer issued under Part 3 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 in respect of an offence prescribed for the purposes of this Act.]

F6[(3)A traffic commissioner shall determine that an individual is not of good repute if he has—

(a)more than one conviction of a serious offence; or

(b)been convicted of road transport offences.]

[F7(4)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(a) above a serious offence is—

(a)an offence under the law in force in any part of the United Kingdom for which a sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding three months, a fine exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or [F8a community order requiring the offender to perform unpaid work for more than sixty hours] was imposed; and

(b)any corresponding offence under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom for which a corresponding punishment was imposed.

[F9(5)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b) above a road transport offence is—

(a)an offence under the law of any part of the United Kingdom relating to road transport including in particular—

(i)an offence relating to drivers’ hours of work or rest periods, the weights or dimensions of commercial vehicles, road or vehicle safety or the protection of the environment; and

(ii)any other offence concerning professional liability; or

(b)any corresponding offence under the law of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.]

(6)In sub-paragraph (4)(a) above “a sentence of imprisonment” includes any form of custodial sentence or order other than one under the enactments relating to mental health and [F10“a community order” means an order under section 177 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003, a community punishment order made before the commencement of that section or a community service order under the Community Service by Offenders (Scotland) Act 1978 [F11 or a service community order or overseas community order under the Armed Forces Act 2006]] .

F7(7)In sub-paragraphs (4)(a) and (5)(a) above references to an offence under the law in force in any part of the United Kingdom include a reference to [F12an offence under section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.]

F7(8)For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) above spent convictions shall be disregarded; and a traffic commissioner may also disregard an offence if such time as he considers appropriate has elapsed since the date of the conviction.

F7(9)Sub-paragraph (3) above is without prejudice to the power of a traffic commissioner to determine that an individual is not of good repute for reasons other than convictions of the kind there mentioned.

F7(10)In this paragraph references to an individual include references to a transport manager as well as to an individual who is an applicant for, or the holder, of, a PSV operator’s licence.]

Appropriate financial standingE+W+S

2[F13(1)]Being of appropriate financial standing in relation to an application for, or holder of, a PSV operator’s licence consists in having available sufficient financial resources to ensure the establishment and proper administration of the business carried on, or proposed to be carried on, under the licence.E+W+S

[F14(2)An applicant for, or the holder of, [F15a standard licence] shall not be considered to be of the appropriate financial standing unless he has available to him capital and reserves of an amount equal to or exceeding the aggregate of—

(a)9,000 Euro for the first or only vehicle which is to be or is authorised under the licence; and

(b)5,000 Euro for each additional vehicle which is to be or is so authorised.]

Professional competenceE+W+S

3E+W+SReferences in Part II of this Act to professional competence are to the professional competence of an individual; and a company satisfies the requirement as to professional competence if, and so long as, [F16it has a transport manager or transport managers of its road transport business who, or each of whom, is of good repute and professionally competent].

4E+W+SWhere an individual is not himself professionally competent, the requirement as to professional competence shall be regarded as satisfied in relation to him if, and so long as, he has a transport manager of his road passenger transport business who is of good repute and professionally competent.

5[F17(1)]Where the holder of a PSV operator’s licence [F18relies on a single transport manager] to satisfy the requirement as to professional competence and that manager—E+W+S

(a)dies or ceases by reason of physical disability or mental disorder to be capable of discharging his duties as transport manager;

(b)ceases to work for the business; or

(c)ceases to be of good repute,

the holder shall nevertheless not be treated as failing to satisfy that requirement until the expiry of such period as in the opinion of the relevant traffic [F19commissioner] is reasonably required for the appointment of a new transport manager.

[F20(2)Where the holder of a PSV operator’s licence is a company with two or more transport managers and any of them ceases to be of good repute the company shall nevertheless not be treated as failing to satisfy the requirement as to professional competence until the expiry of such period as in the opinion of the relevant traffic commissioner is reasonably required for his removal or the appointment of a transport manager in his place.]

6[F21(1)] Subject to paragraph 10 below, an individual shall be regarded as professionally competent for the purposes of Part II of this Act if, and only if,—E+W+S

[F22(a)he has demonstrated that he possesses the requiste skills by passing a written examination organised by an approved body and is the holder of a certificate to that effect issued by that body; or]

(b)he is the holder of any other certificate of competence, diploma or other qualification recognised for the purposes of this paragraph by the Secretary of State.

[F23(2)The written examination mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) may be supplemented by an oral examination organised by the approved body in the form set out in Annex I to Council Directive No.96/26/EC.

(3)The certificate mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(a) must take the form of the certificate set out in Annex Ia to that Directive.]

7E+W+SIn paragraph 6 above “approved body” means—

(a)a body approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of that paragraph; or

(b)a body approved by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland for the purposes of section 46A(5)(c) of the M1Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1967; or

(c)a body or authority designated by another member State for the purposes of [F24Article 3(4) of Council Directive No.96/26/EC];

and “the requisite skills” means [F25knowledge corresponding to the level of training, for either national or international transport operations as the case may be, provided for in Annex I to that Directive in the subjects there listed.]

Persons engaged in road passenger transport before 1st January 1978E+W+S

8(1)Paragraphs 9 and 10 below apply only to persons applying for, and to holders of, standard licences.E+W+S

(2)For the purposes of those paragraphs, an individual or company was authorised to engage in the occupation of road passenger transport operator at any time if, and only if, at that time—

(a)he was the holder, or one of the joint holders, of a public service vehicle licence under section 127 of the M2Road Traffic Act 1960, or the corresponding provision of the law of Northern Ireland, relating to a vehicle adapted to carry more than eight passengers; or

(b)he was by virtue of a permit under Regulation 20 of the M3Public Service Vehicles (Licences and Certificates) Regulations 1952, or the corresponding provision of the law of Northern Ireland, deemed to be the holder or one of the joint holders of such a licence; or

(c)he was so authorised under the law of another member State; or

(d)he was the transport manager of a person within paragraph (a), (b) or (c).

9(1)An individual or company authorised to engage in the occupation of road passenger transport operator at any time before 1st January 1978 shall be deemed until the contrary is proved to satisfy the requirements to be of good repute and appropriate financial standing and, if so authorised before 1st January 1975, also to satisfy the requirement as to professional competence.E+W+S

(2)An applicant for a standard licence, or for the variation of such a licence, shall not be obliged to furnish to the traffic [F26commissioner] in support of his application information relating to a requirement which is deemed to be satisfied by virtue of sub-paragraph (1) above unless it appears to the [F26commissioner] that there are grounds for thinking that the requirement is not in fact satisfied.

10E+W+SFor the purpose of Part II of this Act, an individual shall be regarded as professionally competent if he was authorised to engage in the occupation of road passenger transport operator before 1st January 1978 and was so authorised—

(a)for a period of, or for periods amounting in the aggregate to, two years during the period 1st January 1975 to 31st December 1979; or

(b)at any time in the period 1st January 1970 to 31st December 1974.