<num>58</num>
<heading> General interpretation.</heading>
<subsection eId="section-58-1">
<num>(1)</num>
<content>
<p>In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—</p>
...</content>
...</subsection>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-area" eId="term-area">area</term>
”, in relation to a traffic commissioner, means the traffic area for which he is the traffic commissioner; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<intro>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-articulated-combination" eId="term-articulated-combination">articulated combination</term>
” means a combination made up of— ...</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para1">
<num>(a)</num>
<content>
<p>a motor vehicle which is so constructed that a trailer may by partial superimposition be attached to the vehicle in such a manner as to cause a substantial part of the weight of the trailer to be borne by the vehicle, and</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para1">
<num>(b)</num>
<content>
<p>a trailer attached to it as described in paragraph (a);</p>
...</content>
...</level>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-carriage-of-goods" eId="term-carriage-of-goods">carriage of goods</term>
” includes haulage of goods; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-contravention" eId="term-contravention">contravention</term>
”, in relation to any condition or provision, includes a failure to comply with the condition or provision, and “contravenes” shall be construed accordingly; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-the-1974-council-directive" eId="term-the-1974-council-directive">the 1974 Council Directive</term>
” means <noteRef href="#c10975091" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Community Council Directive <abbr title="Number">No.</abbr>
<ref eId="c00001" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/european/directive/1974/0561">
74/561/<abbr class="acronym" title="European Economic Community">EEC</abbr>
...</ref>
dated 12 November 1974 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator in national and international transport operations, as amended by Community Council Directive <abbr title="Number">No.</abbr>
<ref eId="c00002" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/european/directive/1989/0438">
89/438/<abbr class="acronym" title="European Economic Community">EEC</abbr>
...</ref>
dated 21 June 1989; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-the-1977-council-directive" eId="term-the-1977-council-directive">the 1977 Council Directive</term>
” means <noteRef href="#c10975101" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Community Council Directive <abbr title="Number">No.</abbr>
<ref eId="c00003" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/european/directive/1977/0796">
77/796/<abbr class="acronym" title="European Economic Community">EEC</abbr>
...</ref>
dated 12 December 1977 concerning the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications for goods haulage operators and road passenger transport operators, including measures to encourage such operators effectively to exercise their right of freedom of establishment, as amended by Community Council Directive <abbr title="Number">No.</abbr>
<ref eId="c00004" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/european/directive/1989/0438">
89/438/<abbr class="acronym" title="European Economic Community">EEC</abbr>
...</ref>
dated 21 June 1989; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<intro>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-driver" eId="term-driver">driver</term>
”— ...</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para1">
<num>(a)</num>
<content>
<p>where a separate person acts as steersman of a motor vehicle, includes that person as well as any other person engaged in the driving of the vehicle; and</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para1">
<num>(b)</num>
<content>
<p>in relation to a trailer, means the driver of the vehicle by which the trailer is drawn;</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<wrapUp>
<p>and “drive” shall be construed accordingly;</p>
...</wrapUp>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-functions" eId="term-functions">functions</term>
” includes powers, duties and obligations; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-goods" eId="term-goods">goods</term>
” includes goods or burden of any description; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-goods-vehicle" eId="term-goods-vehicle">goods vehicle</term>
” means a motor vehicle constructed or adapted for use for the carriage of goods, or a trailer so constructed or adapted, but does not include a tramcar or trolley vehicle within the meaning of the <noteRef href="#c10975111" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Road Traffic Act 1988; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-holding-company" eId="term-holding-company">holding company</term>
” and “<term refersTo="#term-subsidiary" eId="term-subsidiary">subsidiary</term>
” have the meaning given by section 736 of the <noteRef href="#c10975121" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Companies Act 1985; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-international-transport-operations" eId="term-international-transport-operations">international transport operations</term>
” and “<term refersTo="#term-national-transport-operations" eId="term-national-transport-operations">national transport operations</term>
” have the same meaning as in the 1974 Council Directive; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-modification" eId="term-modification">modification</term>
” includes addition, omission and alteration, and related expressions shall be construed accordingly; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-motor-vehicle" eId="term-motor-vehicle">motor vehicle</term>
” and “<term refersTo="#term-trailer" eId="term-trailer">trailer</term>
” have the same meaning as in section 253 of the <noteRef href="#c10975131" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Road Traffic Act 1960; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-operating-centre" eId="term-operating-centre">operating centre</term>
” has the meaning given in section 7(3); ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-operators-licence" eId="term-operators-licence">operator’s licence</term>
” has the meaning given in section 2(1); ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-owner" eId="term-owner">owner</term>
”, in relation to any land in England and Wales, means a person, other than a mortgagee not in possession, who, whether in his own right or as trustee for any other person, is entitled to receive the rack rent of the land or, where the land is not let at a rack rent, would be so entitled if it were so let; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-plated-weight" eId="term-plated-weight">plated weight</term>
”, in relation to a vehicle, means a weight required to be marked on it by means of a plate in pursuance of regulations made by virtue of section 41 of the <noteRef href="#c10975141" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Road Traffic Act 1988 or required to be so marked by section 57 or 58 of that Act; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-prescribed" eId="term-prescribed">prescribed</term>
” means prescribed by regulations; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-regulations" eId="term-regulations">regulations</term>
” means regulations made by the Secretary of State under this Act; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-restricted-licence" eId="term-restricted-licence">restricted licence</term>
” has the meaning given in section 3(3); ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<intro>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-road" eId="term-road">road</term>
”— ...</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para1">
<num>(a)</num>
<content>
<p>in relation to England and Wales, means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes; and</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para1">
<num>(b)</num>
<content>
<p>
in relation to Scotland, has the same meaning as in the <noteRef href="#c10975151" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Roads (Scotland) Act 1984; ...</p>
...</content>
...</level>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<intro>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-road-transport-undertaking" eId="term-road-transport-undertaking">road transport undertaking</term>
” means an undertaking which involves the use of goods vehicles— ...</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para1">
<num>(a)</num>
<content>
<p>under an operator’s licence, or</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para1">
<num>(b)</num>
<content>
<p>in accordance with the law of Northern Ireland or the law of any member State other than the United Kingdom;</p>
...</content>
...</level>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-standard-licence" eId="term-standard-licence">standard licence</term>
” has the meaning given in section 3(2); ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-statutory-provision" eId="term-statutory-provision">statutory provision</term>
” means a provision contained in an Act or in subordinate legislation within the meaning of the <noteRef href="#c10975161" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Interpretation Act 1978; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-traffic-area" eId="term-traffic-area">traffic area</term>
” means a traffic area constituted for the purposes of the <noteRef href="#c10975171" uk:name="commentary" ukl:Name="CommentaryRef" class="commentary"/>
Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-transport-manager" eId="term-transport-manager">transport manager</term>
”, in relation to a business, means an individual who is in, or who is engaged to enter into, the employment of the holder of a standard licence and who, either alone or jointly with one or more other persons, has continuous and effective responsibility for the management of the transport operations of the business in so far as they relate to the carriage of goods; ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<hcontainer name="definition">
<content>
<p>
“<term refersTo="#term-vehicle-combination" eId="term-vehicle-combination">vehicle combination</term>
” means a combination of goods vehicles made up of one or more motor vehicles and one or more trailers all of which are linked together when travelling. ...</p>
...</content>
...</hcontainer>
<subsection eId="section-58-2">
<num>(2)</num>
<content>
<p>For the purposes of this Act, the driver of a vehicle, if it belongs to him or is in his possession under an agreement for hire, hire-purchase or loan, and in any other case the person whose servant or agent the driver is, shall be deemed to be the person using the vehicle; and references to using a vehicle shall be construed accordingly.</p>
...</content>
...</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-58-3">
<num>(3)</num>
<content>
<p>In this Act references to vehicles being authorised to be used under an operator’s licence are to be read in accordance with section 5.</p>
...</content>
...</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-58-4">
<num>(4)</num>
<intro>
<p>For the purposes of this Act, a person who is an applicant for, or a holder of, a standard licence, or who is a transport manager, shall be regarded as being engaged in a road transport undertaking if—</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para1" eId="section-58-4-a">
<num>(a)</num>
<intro>
<p>in a case where that person is an individual, he is either—</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para2" eId="section-58-4-a-i">
<num>(i)</num>
<content>
<p>the holder, or one of the joint holders, of an operator’s licence, or</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para2" eId="section-58-4-a-ii">
<num>(ii)</num>
<content>
<p>in the employment of a person who carries on a road transport undertaking and that undertaking gives him responsibility for the operation of goods vehicles used under an operator’s licence; or</p>
...</content>
...</level>
...</level>
<level class="para1" eId="section-58-4-b">
<num>(b)</num>
<intro>
<p>in a case where that person is a company, either—</p>
...</intro>
<level class="para2" eId="section-58-4-b-i">
<num>(i)</num>
<content>
<p>the company is the holder of an operator’s licence, or</p>
...</content>
...</level>
<level class="para2" eId="section-58-4-b-ii">
<num>(ii)</num>
<content>
<p>the company is a subsidiary of the holder of an operator’s licence and goods vehicles used under that licence belong to the company or are in its possession.</p>
...</content>
...</level>
...</level>
...</subsection>
<subsection eId="section-58-5">
<num>(5)</num>
<content>
<p>Anything required or authorised by this Act to be done by or to a traffic commissioner by whom a licence was issued may be done by or to any person for the time being acting as traffic commissioner for the area for which the first-mentioned commissioner was acting at the time of the issuing of the licence.</p>
...</content>
...</subsection>