The changes weve been telling you about are finally here. Since 4th December 2011, the rules on applying for and holding standard O-licences changed, as did the rules for transport managers.

A new national register of operators and transport managers has been created in the UK. The UK register will contain information from GB, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar and will be connected electronically to registers in other EU member states to improve the flow of important information about operators and transport managers.

Who the register applies to

The new national register applies to:

- Road haulage operators with O-licences in Great Britain, already within the scope of the existing European Community legislation and who provide hire or reward services.

- Operators of road vehicles designed to carry ten or more people (including the driver) with O-licences in Great Britain  who carry passengers for hire or reward under a standard licence within the UK and the European Community.

Northern Ireland has its own O-licensing regime for both goods and passenger vehicles, and will provide its own information for UK register.

What did you have to do now?

Last September, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner sent questionnaires out to all standard O-licence holders listed within the operator licensing database. For most of you, the return of the questionnaire is all that will be needed.

The questionnaire has been designed so that each operator can provide the information required for the national register and show that they are compliant with the new EU Regulations.

Most operators have responded to the questionnaire, but there are still a number who have not yet done so. It is vital that the outstanding questionnaires are completed and returned immediately.

Transport Managers

Transport managers with Certificates of Professional Competence (CPC) do not need to take any action as their qualifications remain valid. Those with National CPC only may upgrade to International in 2012 if they wish, but it is not a requirement of the EU regulation.

Transport Managers with recognised trade body CPC exemptions should have received new numbered certificates from their trade body by now. If you expect a certificate but haven’t yet received it, contact your trade body.

Transport manager acquired rights have replaced transport manager grandfather rights. Grandfather rights holders on an operators licence will normally receive an acquired rights certificate in response to a completed operator questionnaire. Grandfather rights holders not on a standard operator licence who want to gain acquired rights will need to make an application before December 2011.

Small Trailers

Since 4th December 2011, small trailers towed by a vehicle under 3.5 tonnes and used for hire or reward are no longer exempt from operator licensing. Therefore, if you are carrying other people’s goods for hire or reward (e.g. working as a courier or freight transport business), the weight calculation must now include any trailer attached (irrespective of the trailer’s weight). If the vehicle and trailer combination exceeds 3.5 tonnes gros plated weight  – or where there is no plated weight, exceeds an unladen weight of more than 1525 kg – a standard O-licence will be required.

The original exemption for a trailer with an unladen weight of less than 1,020 kg still applies as before where the person using it is not carrying other peoples’ goods for hire or reward. In such cases, the weight of the trailer can be ignored for the purposes of adding up the total gross weights or unladen weights to determine whether an operator’s licence is required.

Extracted from Moving On magazine