Former RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning has said he does not expect to see “wholesale changes” to the way the traffic commissioners (TCs) operate after being appointed as a special advisor to a government review into their role.

The TCs triennial review, something all non-departmental government agencies are subject to every three years, has been launched by the DfT and will run until next year.

The DfT said the review will look at what the TCs do and how the organisation is set up. It will also seek to make sure they are operating within good corporate governance.

The DfT is requesting feedback from operators through a newly-launched website, which will be open for comments until the end of January 2015.

It also seeks views on possible changes to operator licencing and regulation including abolishing paper O-licence discs and replacing them with a digital record; whether operators with sites in more than one traffic area should have a single licence; and extending local authority input in licencing decisions.

Following recommendation by the DfT, Dunning (pictured right) has been appointed as special advisor by JMP- the consultants handling the review.

geoff dunning

He told Motortransport.co.uk that the review is “not looking for wholesale changes”, but will give the road transport industry the opportunity to tell the DfT what part of the regime needs to be improved.

Dunning said: “It’s too early to say what the changes may be. It’s an opportunity to take a fresh look at [the TCs]. It’s a system that has produced an industry that is very compliant.”

He revealed that a number of meetings with stakeholders including the RHA, FTA, BVLRA and TfL are scheduled to take place, all of which are expected to give their views on what part of the operator licencing regime can be improved.

Dunning recently took up his role as an advisor to Passenger Focus, which will be scrutinising the performance of the strategic road network once the Highways Agency

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