Operators receive warnings from the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) about sharing their Vehicle Operator Licensing (VOL) login details.
I occasionally hear the same warnings in Public Inquiries.
MTC London Logistics case – A cautionary tale
In the case of MTC London Logistics, TC Sarah Bell recently warned operators and transport managers that they should never share their VOL self-service access log-in details.
The background to the case is that company was sold by director Darius Motac to Ionut-Adrian Chiperi for £1500, but there was no notification to the OTC about the material change.
It became apparent that Motac had shared his VOL log-in details with Chiperi.
TC Bell stated that: “the VOL portal provides operators, transport manages, applicant and those who assist them with significant benefits in terms of timely communications. However, such access must not be abused. The terms of conditions of Vol access make it clear that every user must apply for access in their own name, with their own username and their own password. These must never be shared.”
She went on to say that: “TCs and the OTC access the change history to identify who is making changes and when to ensure the licence is being properly manager. In this case, MTC has misused access.”
Why sharing login details puts your operation at risk
The issue of sharing login details has cropped up in a small number of Public Inquiries I have been acting in.
Current directors have tried to blame former TMs for doing things on VOL, such as erroneously de-specifying vehicles.
The former TM denied it. Unfortunately, as they all used the same login details, there was no way of determining who had made the inadvertent mistake.
The unexpected de-specification hadn’t been spotted and the vehicle concerned was subsequently stopped by the DVSA and found not specified on a licence.
In more serious circumstances, deliberate, malicious actions were alleged to have been undertaken on VOL to sabotage an operation.
If everyone has their own login details, it is easy to determine who has done it.
Need help preparing for a Public Inquiry or a DVSA compliance visit? Contact Jared Dunbar for expert guidance.