Originally Posted by
parishiltons
Look, if ATC had cleared the vehicle to enter the runway/flight strip to conduct birdscare operations, it is incumbent on ATC to ensure that the area is clear before permitting aircraft movements. Duty of care means that it is not good enough to observe the vehicle crossing the HP moving away from the runway - the driver could have been simply doing a u-turn or something and can reasonably assume that they still have a clearance to operate on the runway.
Unless given an explicit blanket instruction to operate as they wished once the vehicle has crossed the holding point it is not to re-enter the runway without ATC permission.
If the driver re-enters the runway without either a blanket clearance to do as they wish or explicit re-entry clearance then they are committing a runway incursion.
An ATCO will either give a blanket clearance to proceed with the patrol and report back on the ramp or proceed onto runway XX and vacate at .....
Yes the ATCO should scan the runway before giving a landing clearance.
Once they have performed the scan and assured themselves that the runway is clear (vehicle is observed vacated at .....) then they have satisfied their requirements under a duty of care scenario.
The driver of the vehicle is also under a duty of care not to enter the runway without explicit permission. So once they vacate at .... they are NOT to re-enter the runway without getting a new clearance to do so.