Transport Act 1968

67 Duration of operators' licences and grant of interim licences

(1) There shall be specified in every operator's licence the date on which the licence is to come into force.

(2) Regulations may specify the dates in the year on which operators' licences shall expire, and, subject to subsections (4) and (5) of this section, an operator's licence shall, unless previously revoked, continue in force up till and including that one of the specified dates which occurs next before the expiration of the period of five years beginning with the date on which the licence came into force, or of such other period beginning with that date as the licensing authority may in accordance with the next following subsection direct.

(3) The licensing authority may, on granting an operator's licence, direct that in the case of that licence the period relevant for the purposes of subsection (2) of this section—

(a) shall be a period shorter than five years—

(i) if the applicant for the licence so requests; or

(ii) if the application is made by a person who does not hold an operator's licence when the application is made;

(b) shall be a period longer or shorter than five years if the licensing authority is of opinion that it is desirable so to direct in order to arrange a suitable and convenient programme of work for the licensing authority.

(4) If, at the date on which an operator's licence is due to expire, proceedings are pending before the licensing authority on an application by the holder of that licence for the grant to him of a new licence in substitution therefor, the existing licence shall continue in force until—

(a) the application ; and

(b) any appeal under section 70 of this Act arising out of, the application,

are disposed of, without prejudice, however, to the exercise in the meantime of the powers conferred by section 69 of this Act.

(5) If an applicant for an operator's licence so requests, a licensing authority may, if the applicant does not hold an operator's licence granted by that authority, grant to him, pending the determination of the application, an operator's licence expressed to continue in force until the date on which any licence granted on the application or on an appeal arising out of it is expressed to come into force or, if no licence is granted as aforesaid, until the application is refused; and a request for the grant of a licence under this subsection shall not for the purposes of section 63 or 64 of this Act be treated as an application for an operator's licence, and a licence granted under this subsection shall not for the purposes of section 65 of this Act be treated as an operator's licence.