COMMERCIAL-vehicle operators could be required to pay for a licence next year, if States Members approve a draft law.
Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis has lodged a proposal for the licensing scheme, which is estimated to affect around 250 commercial operators and 1,150 vehicles (above 3.5 tonnes), including haulage companies and government and parish operations.
The requirement has been considered for a number of years and was included in the 2010 Sustainable Transport Policy, the minister said in a report accompanying the draft law, but had been postponed recently as a result of the pandemic.
‘Central to the scheme is the need to set and maintain standards which reflect industry best practice to provide a level playing field for all commercial vehicle operators in Jersey, whether they operate a large fleet or just one vehicle,’ said Deputy Lewis.
‘These standards will be monitored by DVS and feedback provided to assist operators to achieve the objectives of safer drivers, safer vehicles and safer journeys,’ he added.
In his report, Deputy Lewis said that Driver and Vehicle Standards estimated that to pay for the scheme, there would be a non-refundable fee for making the application ‘likely to be in the region of £200’ and for the renewal of the licence after five years. There would also be an annual licence fee ‘likely to be in the region of £90’, but these figures are subject to change.
These kinds of schemes are common in large and small jurisdictions ‘throughout the world’, said Deputy Lewis, ‘with the UK scheme having been in existence since the 1930s’.
Jersey’s proposed scheme reflected both UK and EU best practice, he said, but was ‘specifically tailored’ for the Island’s ‘unique road traffic characteristics and its legislation framework’, including ‘a lighter touch than those in larger jurisdictions’.
The main standards ‘which must be adhered to’ include a requirement for ‘good repute’ among operators, the need for a transport manager to oversee the operation, and a strong regime of vehicle checks and maintenance ‘covering daily drivers checks, regular periodic safety inspections, appropriate maintenance arrangements and a robust system of record-keeping’.
The first applications for the scheme could be made at the end of 2022, if the States adopt the law, which will be debated on 8 February at the earliest.
