The Road Transport Licensing Committee ('RTLC') acts as an independent tribunal body of Government with responsibility for regulating the transport of passengers. From 1 January 2019 the RTLC will also have responsibility for regulating the commercial use of goods vehicles – basically any vehicle or trailer carrying goods on a public highway which has a maximum laden weight exceeding 3,500 kg.
It is the duty of the Committee to administer the provisions of the Road Transport Act 2001 ('the Act') to benefit and protect the public through the provision of sufficient, efficient, safe, and quality services of public transport.
Emergency Powers Resulting from the Covid-19 Pandemic
Tynwald has passed emergency regulations which have temporarily suspended the RTLC. The suspension will last for the duration of the Coronavirus Proclamation period, which was last extended on April 16th. Once the emergency is over, these regulations will fall away.
The vast majority of the functions of the RTLC have been transferred to DEFA. Within DEFA, the power to exercise these functions has been delegated to Noel Capewell (RTLC Secretary) and Steve Callister (RTLC Project Co-ordinator) who are both DEFA officers. Powers have also been delegated to the DEFA Chief Executive and the Director of Regulation.
The requirement to publish details of applications, meetings and decisions in AD&N Circulars will also move from the RTLC to DEFA for the duration of the Coronavirus Proclamation period.
In practical terms, this means that business as usual should continue for the majority of functions. Unfortunately, the RTLC Office has been closed and the Admin Team redeployed, but all remaining admin functions are being carried out by Noel and Steve.
New Procedures Arising from the Covid-19 Pandemic
As the RTLC Office remains closed, the majority of work is being undertaken by officers from their homes. This means that the most effective way to contact us is by the following email addresses:
rtlc@gov.im
noel.capewell@gov.im
steven.callister@gov.im
You can still call our telephone lines and leave a message but it might take a number of days to receive a response.
Renewal of Operator Discs
Before an Operator Disc is due to expire, the operator will be contacted by an officer to determine whether the Disc is to be renewed.
If an Operator Disc is to be renewed, payment can be made over the telephone using a debit card or a credit card. Alternatively, the operator can send a cheque to the RTLC Office and it will be processed on one of the days when an officer is present in the office.
It would be appreciated if the most recent PPV Roadworthiness Test pass certificate for the vehicle could be either emailed or posted to the RTLC Office. Any expired Operator Discs should also be destroyed by the operator.
Renewal of PPV Driver Licences
As the RTLC office is currently closed, DBS applications are not being processed at the moment for the vast majority of people. Similarly, due to the current lockdown restrictions, licence holders are unable to obtain a medical report should they require one to renew their licence.
As a result, officers will contact licence holders before their licence is due to expire and ask them if they wish to renew. Should they wish to renew, an application form will be sent out to them which should be completed and sent back to the RTLC office. Once this has been done, the licence will be extended for three or four months by which time it is hoped that some form of normalcy will have returned and medicals / DBS applications can be processed. There will be no charge for these extensions.
Public Passenger Vehicles (PPVs)
The Act provides for the licensing of all Public Passenger Vehicles ('PPVs') that are used commercially on the Island, (including taxis, Private Hire cars, minibuses, buses, and coaches), and their drivers, plus the licensing or registration of operators. Links to several useful documents are listed below, but for all application forms and guidance notes related to PPV regulation please visit our PPV Application Forms page.
Approved List of Class A Modern Style Executive Private Hire Cars
Formal Public Meeting Procedures with Applicants
Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness
Procedure for Submitting an Objection to an Application
Goods Vehicles
The passing by Tynwald of the Road Transport Regulations 2018 in July 2018 has meant that the Act also provides for the licensing of Goods Vehicles with effect from 1 January 2019. This will include the licensing or registration of Manx operators (who operate both on-Island and off-Island) as well as all Goods Vehicles with a maximum laden weight of over 3,500 kg. Existing operators will automatically be deemed by the RTLC to hold authority to operate Goods Vehicles for a maximum period of 1 year, during which time they must apply for either an Operator Registration to operate on-Island or an Operator Licence to operate off-Island. All applications from existing operators must be received before 31 January 2020 to allow the statutorily mandated application procedure to be followed.
The application forms for Goods Vehicle Operator Registrations and Operator Licences are available on this website. General guides to Goods Vehicle maintenance and operator licensing / registration are also available along with five examples of checklists / inspection sheets / forms which should assist operators. These five examples of maintenance documents are for guidance only. It is up to the individual operator to decide how best to perform and record maintenance work. Please address any questions on this matter to the RTLC Secretary at noel.capewell@gov.im.
Goods Vehicle drivers will not be regulated by this legislation.
For all documents related to Goods Vehicle Registration and Licensing please visit our GV Application Forms page.
The RTLC is appointed by the Council of Ministers subject to the approval of Tynwald, and each member shall hold office for a term of 5 years. It is comprised of a Chair, a Vice Chair and three other members.
- Mr B O'Friel, Chair
- Mr D Sellick, Vice Chair
- Mr G Curphey
- Mr M Pattison
- Mr C Kniveton
Officers of the Committee:
- Mr N Capewell, Secretary
- Mr SM Callister, Project Co-ordinator
- Mr T Cain, Assistant Secretary
- Mr D Berry, PPV Inspector
