Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry

A Traffic Commissioner public inquiry is formal, serious and moves quickly once the call-up letter arrives. Most operators who find themselves in this position have had warning signs along the way. Poor OCRS performance, a PG9 prohibition, a DVSA investigation, repeated infringement patterns. Whether those warnings were acted on or not will be central to how the hearing unfolds.

The Office of the Traffic Commissioner will usually want evidence on three things: what happened, why it happened, and what has genuinely changed since. Simply telling the Commissioner that things are better now, without records to back it up, rarely carries much weight.

What the inquiry process actually examines

A public inquiry is not just a conversation about compliance. It is a formal regulatory hearing at which the Traffic Commissioner considers whether a licence should continue, be curtailed, suspended, or revoked, and whether a Transport Manager should retain their good repute and professional competence. Both can be at stake at the same hearing.

The evidence examined will typically span maintenance records, PMI inspection sheets, brake testing results, defect reporting systems, drivers’ hours data, tachograph analysis records, financial standing documentation and management controls. The Commissioner will also be looking at how responsibilities were allocated and whether continuous and effective management was genuinely taking place or just nominally recorded.

Guidance on what operators can expect is available through GOV.UK: Public inquiries: a guide for operators.

Where preparation makes the most difference

Operators who prepare thoroughly fare better. Not because preparation changes what happened, but because it allows them to present an accurate and coherent account, identify the corrective actions taken, and show the Commissioner a credible picture of how the business is now being managed.

A practical review ahead of a hearing might cover:

• Reading the call-up letter carefully and identifying every concern raised.
• Checking whether maintenance records, PMI documentation and brake testing evidence support or undermine the operator’s position.
• Reviewing tachograph data and drivers’ hours management controls.
• Assessing whether the nominated Transport Manager can demonstrate continuous and effective management.
• Identifying gaps, missing documents or weak areas before they are raised at the hearing.
• Reviewing financial standing evidence and operating centre records.
• Helping organise corrective action records and evidence of improvements made.

The aim is always to understand the position honestly. That includes identifying things that look bad, because the Commissioner will find them whether the operator acknowledges them or not.

Do not wait

The single most consistent piece of feedback from operators who have been through a public inquiry is that they wish they had started preparing earlier. Evidence gathered under pressure, in the weeks before a hearing, is rarely as strong as evidence that has been built up and can be explained coherently.

Where there are already legal advisers or solicitors involved, any operational compliance review should be coordinated carefully. The factual picture of what happened and what has changed must be consistent across all submissions and representations.

Before making an enquiry

Gather the call-up letter and any other correspondence from DVSA or the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. Pull together maintenance records, PMI inspections, tachograph reports, audit findings and details of corrective actions already taken. Know your operator licence type, fleet size, operating centre locations and Transport Manager arrangements, and have the hearing date to hand.

If you have received a public inquiry call-up and need support reviewing your evidence, identifying weaknesses or organising what you have, request help as soon as possible. Time is usually the scarcest resource in these situations.