TCs reveal 2019 financial standing requirements

The traffic commissioners’ office (OTC) has released details of the new financial standing levels to be required of commercial vehicle operators from 1 January.

Operators with standard national and international licences will be required to demonstrate £8,000 for the first vehicle (up from £7,950) and £4,450 for each additional vehicle they request authorisation for (up from £4,400).

“Operators making variation applications will be required to demonstrate financial standing for their existing fleet and any additional authorisation against the new levels,” the OTC said.

“Any applicant or licence holder appearing at public inquiry before a traffic commissioner after 1 January 2019, where evidence of financial standing is requested, will be required to satisfy the new levels.”

But the office added that there would be no change for the time being to the rates of finance required to support a restricted licence or application (£3,100 for the first vehicle and £1,700 for each additional authorised vehicle).

The OTC has also announced a new member of the traffic commissioner (TC) team for 2019, following the retirement of Scotland TC Joan Aitken who has held the position since 2003.

Claire Gilmore will assume oversight of the Scotland traffic area in February. A lawyer with substantial experience in regulatory litigation as well as a qualified engineer, Gilmore is currently the senior investigating officer in the office of Scotland’s commissioner for ethical standards in public life.