The process for applying for an operator licence is now entirely digital. You can apply via the Gov.uk portal, which you can log in to here:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-vehicle-operator-licence
You will be asked to state the number of vehicles that are to be authorised on the licence. It is usual practice to request authorisation for more vehicles than are to be initially operated as this provides a “margin” for expansion. Adding vehicles within the margin is a simple process but adding vehicles beyond the margin is described as a “major variation” and is effectively a completely new licence application.
The application requires information on the interval between vehicle safety inspections and who will carry them out. If maintenance is carried out by a third party there must be a contract in place and a copy must be made available in the application.
Details of all operating centres and the number of vehicles to be parked at each are required.
Details of all licence applications and Traffic Commissioner decisions are published in a fortnightly document titled Applications and Decisions. In this document you can find:
Copies of Applications and Decisions may be viewed on the DVSA website. You can also sign up for updates here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/traffic-commissioner-applications-and-decisions
The licence applicant is required by law to place an advertisement (officially described as a “notice”) in a local newspaper that has a circulation covering the area in which the operating centre or proposed operating centre is situated.
This notice:
The whole page containing the advertisement including the full title of the newspaper must be sent to the Leeds Traffic Area Office either with the application form or as soon as possible afterwards.
A licence will be refused by the Traffic Commissioner if the notice has not been advertised as required.
Certain parties may issue an objection to the granting of an o-licence.
The following organisations, and only these organisations, have a statutory right to object to the grant of or variation to an operator's licence:
Statutory objectors can challenge the licence applicant on the grounds that:
In addition to the statutory objectors, owners or occupiers of land in the vicinity of a proposed operating centre may make environmental representations. Such representations must be made by the actual owner of the land and will not be accepted from bodies such as Parish Councils, residents’ associations and others who do not actually own the land.
Those making environmental representations may do so only on the grounds that their use or enjoyment of their land will be adversely affected by the proposed operating centre. They must be directly affected by the use of the operating centre and not as a result of traffic on highways.
The Traffic Commissioner will not consider an environmental representation if:
You must provide evidence of financial resources in your application. This evidence can include:
Each year the finance that an HGV or PSV operator must have readily available in order to satisfy its legal obligation to be of “appropriate financial standing” is reviewed and where appropriate, changed with reference to EU exchange rates. As operators will be well aware, the amount an operator must have available to it is calculated with reference to the number of vehicles authorised under its operator’s licence.
For standard licences the rates applicable in 2018 have increased from the previous year, although those for restricted licences remain as they currently are.
The 2018 rates are:
The financial standing position in relation to all new licence applications, variation applications and licence continuations will be assessed in accordance with these rates.
For standard national and international license holders:
For restricted licence holders, the rates will not change.
I reckon that’s quite enough for this week. We’ll be rounding things off in next week’s post; Part III will delve into maintaining your o-licence, and will cover the duration and reviewing of o-licences, and how going into administration and accruing criminal convictions affect your repute.
In the meantime, if you're looking to take the bull by the horns, find out what what it takes to pass the Transport Manager CPC: