APPENDIX 1
Memorandum submitted by GG Carriages
I have a small minibus company based just outside
Cardiff in South Wales. I have just been reading my routeone industry
magazine and found a paragraph on how VOSA faces a Commons inquiry.
It also states that if we have any comments about VOSA, DSA, DVLC,
VCA and HA to send an email to you with our comments on a list
of questions printed. I believe that the agencies are not working
very well together in the PCV area. Evidence of this is on our
streets all over Great Britain. Imported stretch limos with more
than eight passenger seats not including the driver being used
for hire and reward. This class of vehicle under current law falls
under PCV rules and regulations. DVLC register them as private
vehicles not to be used for hire and reward. The vehicles do not
pass a (COIF) Certificate of Initial Fitness Test which is a legal
requirement for all PCV's being used for hire and reward. Without
this or a Public Service Vehicle Test Certificate they are committing
an offence under section 47 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
VOSA have a conflict of interest as they seem
to be the agency certifying the limos fit for use on our streets
as private vehicles. How can they then go to their customers and
tell them if you use this limo for the purpose it was built and
bought for you will be prosecuted. We can see what happens in
all major towns and city's—absolutely nothing. If VOSA were
doing their job, working with all other agencies including the
police and the local taxi authorities there would not be any illegal
vehicles on the road. Instead there are hundreds of unlicensed
uninsured vehicles without the correct MOTs being used for hire
and reward without displaying any private hire sign or operators
licence discs.
Will it take another Ian Huntley before you
close the door on this incompetent behaviour. At present any paedophile
can go out and purchase a limo or the new gimmick fire for hire
fire engine limos. They can take it out on our streets and work
carrying children for hire and reward, they seem to be able to
advertise their illegal services in the yellow pages and on the
internet without challenge from the relevant authorities. If I
fail in my duty of care to the public as an operator I can face
jail. If a child is abused or killed as a result of all relevant
agencies turning a blind eye to what is going on, who faces a
jail sentence? Who can the parents blame? Who is responsible for
allowing this to happen? Is it the police? Is it VOSA? Is it the
Government for not making sure that the relevant agencies are
doing there jobs correctly? VOSA claim that they do not have the
funds and resources to deal with the problem. I spoke to a police
officer in Cardiff No 7538 and voiced my complaints to him, only
to be told that in his opinion if the vehicles are being driven
on the road, they must have the correct paper work. How incompetent.
But what can you expect South Wales police put out a radio message
on Radio Wales telling all limo operators that they were going
to be in Cardiff pulling over all illegal vehicles on Friday 23
December. I wonder if they warn their drug dealers were and when
they are going to be knocking on there doors. As a result of this
message I would love to know how many limos were prosecuted as
a result of their purge on that night? Over the past four years
I have been trying to get a meeting together with all the relevant
agencies to sit down together along with some government policy
makers to try and sort this problem out, only to be met by a brick
wall. All of my above insulting comments do not get me anywhere.
I am an ordinary man who wants to prevent another Holly and Jessica
before it happens. Not run around like a headless chicken when
it is too late.
The law on our PCV vehicles has been improved
over many years please do not give limos a separate licence. If
they don't pass our safety rules we do not want them. Limos can
be built to meet our very high safety standards. If limo operators
are that serious about becoming legal.
3 January 2006
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