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Public Inquiries
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A public inquiry is a formal tribunal hearing, chaired by the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for the traffic area in question.
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The Traffic Commissioners of Great Britain

Traffic Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport; each Commissioner is responsible for a traffic area. There are eight traffic areas:

  • East of England
  • London and the South East
  • North East of England
  • North West of England
  • Scotland 
  • Wales
  • West Midlands
  • West of England
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What is a Public Inquiry?

There are many reasons a public inquiry (PI) may be called, however, they chiefly follow from two scenarios:

  • A new application, or a change to an existing application, is submitted for consideration;
  • An operating centre has been audited by a DVSA traffic examiner, and the audit report escalated to the TC.

An operator will receive an invitation to public inquiry in the post; in the letter will be detailed the points of concern; following that, some paperwork, known as the ‘bundle’, will be sent to help the operator to prepare for the PI.

Why is a PI called?

During the PI, the TC will hear evidence from all parties concerned – usually from the operator, the DVSA/police, and any valid complainants. 
Most often, new and existing operators are summoned to PI when there are serious concerns over:
  • Vehicle maintenance arrangements;
  • Condition/roadworthiness of vehicles;
  • Safe loading practices and procedures;
  • Drivers' hours infringements;
  • Repute of nominated Transport Manager (TM);
  • Tachograph manipulation;
  • Inadequate paper or digital records;
  • Questionable financial standing; 
  • Undeclared information (such as that relating to legal or financial history);
  • Incorrect information given to the TC or DVSA.
Consequences of an unfavourable PI include:
  • Having one's vehicle authorization curtailed;
  • Losing the right to operate from a particular operating centre removed;
  • A Transport Manager losing their good repute;
  • An operator being suspended from operating for a designated period;
  • An operator losing their licence. 
An operator has the right to legal counsel during public inquiries. 
 
An operator may be invited to request a public inquiry if they wish to challenge a decision made against them by the TC.
The experienced consultants at Chartwise can guide you through the entire process, from putting together a formal response and conducting a preliminary audit of your operation to assisting you in person on the day of your inquiry and undertaking remedial action following it. 

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