The Deputy Traffic Commissioner for Scotland Richard McFarlane took time out from an annual training conference in Cardiff to see the practical measures taken by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to ensure that lorries and buses are operating safely.

Senior Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown, was joined by Mr McFarlane and other Deputy Traffic Commissioners from England and Wales at the VOSA testing station in Pontyclun, near Cardiff as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs) were called in from the nearby roads for inspection.

Traffic Commissioners and their deputies are responsible for the licensing of HGV and PSV operators, the registration of local bus services, and for granting vocational driving licences for HGV and PSV drivers.

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Philip Brown said: "We often deal with cases which have come about as a result of checks similar to those being carried out today, but it is useful to us in our licensing function to see how these checks take place.

"It is reassuring that the technology, combined with the considerable experience of VOSA's vehicle and traffic examiners can help ensure that some of the largest vehicles on our roads are operating safely and within the law."

In this exercise, marked VOSA cars with Automatic Number Plate Recognition on board identify vehicles belonging to operators who have previously come to the attention of the agency or the Traffic Commissioner, and VOSA operatives have the power to call them in for checking.

The annual Traffic Commissioners' Training Conference was held in Cardiff last week, and provided an opportunity for Traffic Commissioner and Deputies to discuss changes to legislation and encourage consistency in the approach to their judicial decision making and procedures.

(GK/JM)