{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-passenger-vehicles-act-1981/section-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-passenger-vehicles-act-1981/section-20.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/14",
  "legislation_title": "Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-passenger-vehicles-act-1981",
  "path": "section/20",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Duty to give traffic commissioners information about vehicles.",
  "text": "(1) It shall be the duty of the holder of a PSV operator’s licence, on the happening to any public service vehicle owned by him of any failure or damage of a nature calculated to affect the safety of occupants of the public service vehicle or of persons using the road, to report the matter as soon as is practicable to the Secretary of State in accordance with regulations made by virtue of subsection (2A) below.\n(2) It shall be the duty of the holder of a PSV operator’s licence, on any alteration otherwise than by replacement of parts being made in the structure or fixed equipment of any public service vehicle owned by him, to give notice of the alteration as soon as is practicable to the Secretary of State in accordance with regulations made by virtue of subsection (2A) below.\n(2A) Regulations may make provision—\n(a) for any report or notice required under subsection (1) or (2) above to be made or given to the Secretary of State or to the prescribed testing authority;\n(b) for requiring a public service vehicle to be submitted for examination in the event of any such failure or damage as is mentioned in subsection (1) above or any such alteration as is mentioned in subsection (2) above; and\n(c) for the examinations to be carried out under the regulations and, in particular, for authorising any such examination to be carried out by or under the direction of a an examiner appointed under section 66A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 or an authorised inspector.\n(3) A traffic commissioner may—\n(a) require the holder of a PSV operator’s licence to supply him or another traffic commissioner forthwith or within a specified time with such information as he may reasonably require about the public service vehicles owned by the holder and normally kept at an operating centre within the traffic area to which the licence relates, and to keep up to date information supplied by the holder under this paragraph; or\n(b) require the holder or former holder of a PSV operator’s licence to supply him or another traffic commissioner forthwith or within a specified time with such information as he may reasonably require about the public service vehicles owned by the holder or former holder at any material time specified by him which were at that time normally kept at an operating centre within the traffic area to which the licence relates.\nIn this subsection “material time” means a time when the PSV operator’s licence in question was in force.\n(4) Subject to section 68(1) of this Act, a person who fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) or (2) above or with any requirement under subsection (3) above shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.\n(5) A person who in purporting to comply with any requirement under subsection (3) above supplies any information which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.\n(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "By Transport Act 1982 (c. 49, SIF 58, 107:1, 126), ss. 10(9)(a), 76(2) a (prosp.) substitution of the words “in accordance with regulations made by virtue of subsection (2A) below” is made in place of the original words “to the traffic commissioners who granted the licence”"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words substituted by Transport Act 1985 (c. 67, SIF 126), s. 29"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 20(2A) inserted (prosp.) by Transport Act 1982 (c. 49, SIF 58, 107:1, 126), ss. 10(9)(b), 76(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(2A) substituted (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 107:1), s. 48, Sch. 4 para. 19(4); S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(3) substituted (3.7.2013) by The Local Transport Act 2008 (Traffic Commissioners) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1644), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with arts. 1(3), 2, 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 20(3)(a)(b) substituted (3.7.2013) by The Local Transport Act 2008 (Traffic Commissioners) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1644), art. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with arts. 1(3), 2, 7)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word substituted as provided by Transport Act 1985 (c. 67, SIF 126), s. 3(5), Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4(11)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words substituted as provided by Transport Act 1985 (c. 67, SIF 126), s. 3(5), Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4(11)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words substituted by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289G"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 20(6) repealed (1.7.1992) by Road Traffic Act 1991 (c. 40, SIF 170:1), s. 83, Sch.8; S.I. 1992/1286, art. 2, Sch., Appendix"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 20(2A) extended (prosp.) by Transport Act 1982 (c. 49, SIF 58, 107:1, 126), ss. 10(11)(b), 76(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 20 excluded by Transport Act 1985 (c. 67, SIF 126), s. 12(13)(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words substituted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1982/49",
      "affecting_title": "Transport Act 1982"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1982/49",
      "affecting_title": "Transport Act 1982"
    },
    {
      "type": "extended",
      "affecting": "ukpga/1982/49",
      "affecting_title": "Transport Act 1982"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/14/section/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:14:23.739394+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}