Provisions relating to traffic commissioners etc.
54Procedure of traffic commissioners
(1)The traffic commissioners may for any purpose, if they so think fit, hold public sittings at such places as appear to them convenient.
(2)Not less than two commissioners shall be present at the hearing of an opposed application for the grant of a road service licence, and if where such an application is heard by two commissioners only there is a difference of opinion between them, the matter shall be reheard and determined by all the commissioners.
(3)The traffic commissioners may delegate to any one of their members any of their functions other than those of hearing and determining opposed applications for the grant of road service licences and other than those of advising a local authority on the making of an order under section 15 or 33 of the [1967 c. 76.] Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967 or determining the charges referred to in subsection (3) of the said section 33.
(4)So much of subsection (2) above as requires not less than two commissioners to be present at the hearing of an opposed application for the grant of a road service licence shall not apply—
(a)to so much of the hearing of any such application as is devoted to determining whether the commissioners are satisfied as mentioned in section 34(1) or 35(1) of this Act; or
(b)to the remainder of the hearing of any such application in the case of which the commissioners have determined that they are so satisfied.
(5)In this section " opposed application " means an application with respect to which an objection has been made and not withdrawn, being an objection to which the traffic commissioners are obliged to have regard by virtue of section 31(3)(c)of this Act.
55Annual report of traffic commissioners and metropolitan police commissioner
The traffic commissioners for each traffic area shall make an annual report to the Secretary of State on their proceedings containing particulars with respect to such matters as the Secretary of State may direct and the commissioner of police of the metropolis shall make a like report as regards the exercise of his functions with respect to licences to drive public service vehicles.
56Records of licences
(1)The traffic commissioners for each traffic area, and the commissioner of police of the metropolis, shall keep a record in such form and containing such particulars as may be prescribed of all licences granted by them or him under this Act.
(2)A police constable or a person authorised for the purpose by a local authority shall, without payment, and any other person appearing to the traffic commissioners to have a reasonable ground for claiming so to do shall, upon payment of the prescribed fee, be entitled at any reasonable time to inspect and take copies of, or extracts from, the record kept under this section by them; and a police constable or a person authorised as aforesaid shall, without payment, and any other person appearing to the commissioner of police of the metropolis to have a reasonable ground for claiming so to do shall, upon payment of such fee as aforesaid, be entitled at any reasonable time to inspect and take copies of, or extracts from, the record so kept by him.
(3)A record kept under this section shall be admissible in evidence of the matters required under this Act to be entered therein, and a copy of an entry made in such a record in pursuance of this section purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the authority by whom the record is kept and to be certified to be a true copy shall be evidence of the matters stated in that entry without proof of the signature or authority of the person signing the same.