Local Transport Act 2008
Local Transport Act 2008
2008 Chapter 26
An Act to make further provision in relation to local transport authorities, the provision and regulation of road transport services and the subsidising of passenger transport services; to amend sections 74, 75 and 79 of the Transport Act 1985; to make provision for or in relation to committees which represent the interests of users of public transport; to rename Passenger Transport Authorities as Integrated Transport Authorities and to make further provision in relation to them; to make further provision in relation to charging for the use of roads; to make provision about the meaning of ‘street works’ and ‘street works licence’ in Part 3 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; to amend Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and section 90F of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988; to make provision in relation to the acquisition, disclosure and use of information relating to vehicles registered outside the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
[26th November 2008]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Part 1
The traffic commissioners
1 Traffic areas
(1) Section 3 of the PPVA 1981 (traffic areas) is amended as follows.
(2) After subsection (2) (orders varying traffic areas) insert—
‘(2A) The power to make an order under subsection (2) above includes power to make—
(a) such incidental, consequential, supplemental or transitional provision, and
(b) such savings,
as the Secretary of State may consider necessary or expedient for the purpose of, or in consequence of, or for giving full effect to, any order under that subsection for varying the number or limits of traffic areas in England and Wales.
(2B) The power conferred by subsection (2A) above includes power to amend or modify any provision of this Act or any other enactment (whenever passed or made) for the purpose of making any such provision or savings.
(2C) The powers conferred by subsections (2A) and (2B) above are without prejudice to what may be done under subsection (3) below.
’.
2 Traffic commissioners
(1) Section 4 of the PPVA 1981 (traffic commissioners) is amended as follows.
(2) For subsections (1) and (2) (commissioner to be appointed for each traffic area etc) substitute—
‘(1) For the purposes of this Act there shall be—
(a) such number of commissioners for England and Wales as the Secretary of State may consider appropriate; and
(b) a single commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area (the "Scottish traffic commissioner").
(2) The commissioners shall be appointed by the Secretary of State and shall be known as traffic commissioners.
’.
(3) In subsection (3) (function of issuing licences) for ‘The traffic commissioner for each traffic area’ substitute ‘A traffic commissioner’.
(4) After subsection (3) insert—
‘(3A) A traffic commissioner for England and Wales—
(a) may exercise the functions of a traffic commissioner in any traffic area in England and Wales; and
(b) may exercise in relation to the Scottish Traffic Area any functions of a traffic commissioner that relate to reserved matters within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998.
(3B) The Scottish traffic commissioner—
(a) is to exercise the functions of a traffic commissioner in relation to the Scottish Traffic Area; and
(b) may exercise in relation to any traffic area in England and Wales any functions of a traffic commissioner that relate to reserved matters within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998.
’.
(5) In subsection (4) (terms of office) in the opening words, for ‘the traffic commissioner for a traffic area’ substitute ‘a traffic commissioner’.
(6) In subsection (5) (declaration of certain financial interests before appointment) for ‘the traffic commissioner for a traffic area’ substitute ‘a traffic commissioner’.
(7) In section 82(1) of the PPVA 1981 (general definitions) insert at the appropriate place—
"‘the Scottish traffic commissioner" is to be read in accordance with section 4(1)(b) (the traffic commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area);
’.
3 The senior traffic commissioner
(1) After section 4 of the PPVA 1981 (traffic commissioners) insert—
4A ‘Appointment of senior traffic commissioner
(1) One of the traffic commissioners shall be appointed by the Secretary of State to be the senior traffic commissioner.
(2) The senior traffic commissioner shall have such functions as may be conferred or imposed by or under any of the following enactments—
(a) section 4B below (deployment of traffic commissioners),
(b) section 4C below (guidance and general directions),
or any other provision of this Act or any other enactment.
(3) The senior traffic commissioner—
(a) shall hold office for such period as the Secretary of State specifies when making the appointment; but
(b) ceases to hold that office on ceasing to hold office as a traffic commissioner.
(4) A traffic commissioner who has been the senior traffic commissioner is eligible for re-appointment as the senior traffic commissioner.
(5) In the case of illness, incapacity or absence of the senior traffic commissioner, the Secretary of State may appoint another traffic commissioner to act as deputy for the senior traffic commissioner.
(6) Where the office of senior traffic commissioner becomes vacant, the Secretary of State may appoint a person (whether or not over the age of 65) to act as senior traffic commissioner pending the appointment of a new senior traffic commissioner.
(7) Any person appointed under subsection (6) above shall—
(a) hold office for such period as the Secretary of State specifies when making the appointment; and
(b) during that period be treated for all purposes as the senior traffic commissioner.
4B Power of senior traffic commissioner to deploy other commissioners
(1) In this section—
(a) subsections (2) to (4) confer powers on the senior traffic commissioner in relation to traffic commissioners and deputy traffic commissioners for England and Wales; and
(b) subsections (5) to (7) confer powers on the senior traffic commissioner in relation to the Scottish traffic commissioner and any deputy traffic commissioners for the Scottish traffic area.
(2) The senior traffic commissioner may require any traffic commissioner for England and Wales to carry out such of the functions of traffic commissioner for England and Wales as the senior traffic commissioner may determine—
(a) in relation to such matters relating to England and Wales, or
(b) as respects Scotland, in relation to such reserved matters,
as the senior traffic commissioner may determine.
(3) The senior traffic commissioner may require any traffic commissioner for England and Wales to carry out such of those functions as the senior traffic commissioner may determine at such places—
(a) in England and Wales, or
(b) in the case of functions which relate to reserved matters and are exercisable in relation to Scotland, in Scotland,
as the senior traffic commissioner may determine.
(4) Subsections (2) and (3) above also apply in relation to a deputy traffic commissioner for England and Wales as they apply in relation to a traffic commissioner for England and Wales, construing the references to functions accordingly.
(5) The senior traffic commissioner may require the Scottish traffic commissioner to carry out as respects England and Wales such of the functions exercisable by the Scottish traffic commissioner in relation to reserved matters by virtue of section 4(3B)(b) of this Act as the senior traffic commissioner may determine.
(6) The senior traffic commissioner may require the Scottish traffic commissioner to carry out such of those functions as the senior traffic commissioner may determine at such places in England and Wales as the senior traffic commissioner may determine.
(7) Subsections (5) and (6) above also apply in relation to a deputy traffic commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area as they apply in relation to the Scottish traffic commissioner, construing the references to functions accordingly.
(8) In this section—
"deputy traffic commissioner for the Scottish Traffic Area" means any person appointed under paragraph 3 or 4 of Schedule 2 to this Act to act as deputy in the case of the Scottish traffic commissioner;
"reserved matters" means reserved matters within the meaning of the Scotland Act 1998.
4C Power of senior traffic commissioner to give guidance and directions
(1) The senior traffic commissioner may give to the traffic commissioners—
(a) guidance, or
(b) general directions,
as to the exercise of their functions under any enactment.
This subsection is subject, in relation to Scotland, to subsection (5) below.
(2) The guidance that may be given under subsection (1)(a) above includes guidance as to—
(a) the meaning and operation of any enactment or instrument relevant to the functions of traffic commissioners;
(b) the circumstances in which, and the manner in which, a traffic commissioner should exercise any power to impose any sanction or penalty;
(c) matters which a traffic commissioner should or should not take into account when exercising any particular function.
(3) The directions that may be given under subsection (1)(b) above include directions as to—
(a) the circumstances in which, and the manner in which, officers or servants of a traffic commissioner may exercise any function for or on behalf of the traffic commissioner, and any conditions which such officers or servants must meet before they may do so;
(b) the information which a traffic commissioner must ask to be supplied in connection with the exercise of any particular...
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