Road Safety Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 23:"After Clause 5, insert the following new clause—"    ““GOODS VEHICLE LICENCES (1)   For section 3 of the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995 (c. 23) (““standard”” and ““restricted”” licences), substitute—    ““3 LICENCE AUTHORISATION (1)   A licence may authorise a goods vehicle to be used for the carriage of goods— (a)   on both national and international transport operations; or (b)   on national transport operations only. (2)   A person who uses a goods vehicle for carrying goods for hire or reward on international transport operations under a licence which covers the carriage of goods on national transport operations only is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.”” (2)   In section 13 of that Act (determination of applications for operators’ licensing)— (a)   in subsection (1) omit the word ““standard””; and (b)   omit subsections (2) and (4). (3)   Section 4 (temporary exemptions) shall cease to have effect.”” The noble Earl said: Under the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, an operator’s licence is required for all goods vehicles used commercially over 3.5 tonnes. The licence can be for national or international operations, and for ““own account”” or ““hire and reward””. In the case of a standard licence, a professionally competent manager—the transport manager—is required to run the transport operation. Over recent years, the ““hire and reward”” sector, which requires a standard licence, has improved its standards. That may partially be due to fewer very small fleets. Unfortunately, I keep reading in the commercial press, particularly Commercial Motor, of cases of standard vehicle licence holders in serious difficulties with vehicle maintenance and the general operation of the vehicle. Often, that is a result of ignorance. It frequently involves scaffolding and building operators. For instance, last week in Commercial Motor, I read a report of a groundwork contractor who was stopped by VOSA. His vehicle had two defective tyres, loose wheel nuts, a defective speed limiter, inadequate inspection reports, and only a 33 per cent prohibition rate and a 50   per cent pass rate at annual tests. If my amendment were agreed, all transport operations would be managed by someone professionally competent. I beg to move.