Roadside checks for HGV, van, bus or coach drivers
Driving without a valid operator's licence
You need a valid operator’s licence if you drive the following for any type of business:
- a public service vehicle (PSV)
- a heavy goods vehicle (HGV)
If you or your employer do not have a valid operator’s licence, your vehicle could be impounded and scrapped after 21 days unless you or your employer appeal to the local Traffic Commissioner.
Appeals can only be made when:
- you can prove that the vehicle was seized wrongly (because you or your employer had an operator’s licence when it was seized)
- the vehicle was exempt from operator licensing when it was impounded
- the vehicle was being used illegally without the owner’s knowledge
Your vehicle may still be scrapped if you appeal and the Traffic Commissioner rules that the impounding was correct.