Road Transport Act, 1986

Powers of transport officers.

16.—(1) A transport officer shall for the purposes of—

(a) the Road Transport Act, 1932 , the Road Transport Act, 1933 , the Road Transport Act, 1935 , the Transport Act, 1944 , the Road Transport Act, 1971 , this Act and any instrument made under any of the said enactments,

(b) any regulation made by the Minister under the European Communities Act, 1972 , relating to the carriage of goods by road or the carriage of passengers by omnibus, and

(c) any enactment or any instrument made under any enactment relating to the carriage of goods by road or the carriage of passengers by omnibus or to any vehicle or class of vehicle engaged in such carriage as may be specified by order under section 18 (1) (a) of this Act,

have power to do any or all of the following things—

(i) at any time enter a premises or place if he has reasonable grounds for believing that it is used for a purpose connected with road transport (in this section referred to as “road transport operations”) or that a vehicle used for that purpose is at the premises or in the place and inspect the vehicle and any documents, records, books or recording equipment kept or used in that vehicle, premises or place, as the case may be, for the purposes of road transport operations,

(ii) at any time inspect a vehicle which is stationary and inspect any documents, records, books, goods or recording equipment being carried in or on the vehicle or by the crew kept or used for the purposes of road transport operations,

(iii) require any person at the premises or in the place or in the vehicle to produce to him any document, book or record kept or used for the purposes of road transport operations which is in the power or control of that person,

(iv) inspect, examine and take copies of or extracts from or take away, if necessary for the purposes of inspection or examination, any document, book or record kept or used for the purposes of road transport operations and require the person by whom such document, book or record is kept or who produced the document, book or record to certify a copy thereof as a true copy.

(2) For the purpose of exercising his powers under subsection (1) of this section, a transport officer may detain a vehicle during such time as is required for the exercise of those powers.

(3) A person who obstructs or interferes with a transport officer when he is exercising a power conferred on him by this section or who fails to comply with a request or requirement of a transport officer under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500.