Road Traffic Act · 2026 Revised Edition · Part · Public Service Vehicles and Franchises
57. Persons deemed to be users of public service vehicles
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
Where a public service vehicle is being used on any road in any regulated area, the driver of the vehicle, if it belongs to him or is in his possession under the agreement for hire, hire-purchase or loan, and in any other case the person whose agent or servant the driver is, shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be the person by whom the vehicle is being used.
public service vehicle
“public service vehicle” means a motor vehicle ordinarily used, whether in part or in whole, for the purpose of conveying passengers or goods or both, for hire or reward, whether under contract to a person plying for hire or generally, and, in the case of a tractor, includes any trailer attached to it;
Where at any time passengers or goods are carried in a public service vehicle which has been let on hire by the person who at the time of the carriage of the passengers or goods is within the meaning of this Act the user of the vehicle, the passengers or goods are deemed to be carried by that person for hire or reward:
vehicle
“vehicle” means any vehicle, including a trailer, constructed, adapted or capable of being used on roads, whether mechanically propelled or not.
Provided that —
the user of a vehicle shall not be convicted of an offence under section 56 if he proves to the satisfaction of the court that no act or omission on his part conduced to the commission of the offence; and
in such case, the driver or other person responsible for the commission of the offence may be convicted of the offence as though he were the user of the vehicle.
Terms defined in s 2
driver
Defined · s 2“driver”, in relation to a motor vehicle, means the person having control of the steering apparatus thereof, including, in relation to a motorcycle, the rider thereof, and in respect of trailer, means the person driving the motor vehicle by which the trailer is being drawn;
person
Defined · s 2“person” shall have the meaning assigned to it by the Interpretation and General Clauses Act;
public service vehicle
Defined · s 2“public service vehicle” means a motor vehicle ordinarily used, whether in part or in whole, for the purpose of conveying passengers or goods or both, for hire or reward, whether under contract to a person plying for hire or generally, and, in the case of a tractor, includes any trailer attached to it;
regulated area
Defined · s 2“regulated area” means any area declared to be a regulated area under section 48;
road
Defined · s 2“road” means any highway and any other road to which the public has access, and includes bridges over which a road passes;
vehicle
Defined · s 2“vehicle” means any vehicle, including a trailer, constructed, adapted or capable of being used on roads, whether mechanically propelled or not.
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