Traffic Commissioner's Public Inquiry

Public inquiries are just that … an inquiry in Public.

The Traffic Commissioner will call an operator to a Public Inquiry (PI) if they have concerns about the conduct or suitability of an operator or operating centre. Normally, this is due to a failure to comply with the undertakings made as part of the O Licence Regulations and the Goods Vehicles (Licencing of Operators) Act 1995, but not always.

Traffic Commissioners are like Judges in court cases and have wide-ranging powers. They can revoke, suspend or curtail (reduce the number of vehicles) an operator’s licence and can, in certain cases, remove the "good repute" from Transport Managers and company directors, preventing them from being associated with other Operator licences.

How we can help

While Public Inquiries are "a Court of Law", there are no formal rules of evidence and you do not necessarily require a solicitor. In fact, in many straight forward cases, a Transport Manager or Consultant with experience of Public Inquiries can be more beneficial as they have a better understanding of how the regulations are implemented in practice than some commercial solicitors. In more complex cases we work with transport legal professionals and work with them, and you, to achieve the best solutions.

We have a good track record in Public Inquiries based on our approach of demonstrating what we (you and us) have done to correct the problems, answering the Traffic Commissioner’s questions as to whether the operator is fit to continue to operate or not.

In addition, Transport Managers and Consultants can provide the support you need to address the issues through mentoring, training and audit.

If you need more information or would like to discuss a particular problem, in confidence please e-mail us or call on 01275 390001