What Happens at a Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry — And How to Prepare

Why I'm Writing This

In 19 years of working in transport compliance, I have never once met an operator who expected to receive a Public Inquiry notice. Every single operator who has sat across from me with that letter in their hand has said some version of the same thing — "I didn't think it would come to this."

A Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry is not something that happens suddenly. It is the end result of a process — usually started months or years earlier with small compliance failures that were never addressed, OCRS scores that drifted into amber without anyone noticing, or maintenance systems that looked fine on paper but were not being followed in practice.

What Is a Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry?

A Traffic Commissioner Public Inquiry is a formal hearing conducted by the Traffic Commissioner — the independent regulator responsible for licensing goods vehicle and passenger service vehicle operators in the UK. The Traffic Commissioner can issue a formal warning, curtail your licence, suspend it, revoke it entirely, or disqualify you personally. These are existential threats to your business.

Why Operators End Up at a Public Inquiry

Tachograph and driver hours failures. The most common route to a Public Inquiry I have seen. Operators who are not downloading tachograph data regularly, not analysing it properly, or not briefing drivers on infringements are sitting on a compliance time bomb.

Vehicle maintenance failures. PMI intervals not being followed. Brake performance records not being kept. Defect reports going unsigned.

Failure to notify changes. You have 28 days to notify the Traffic Commissioner of material changes to your operation.

Transport Manager involvement. A Transport Manager who is named on a licence but not genuinely managing the operation. See our guide on External Transport Managers for more.

OCRS deterioration. A pattern of roadside encounters and prohibitions will trigger a review, and that review can lead directly to a Public Inquiry call-up.

What to Do the Moment You Receive a Public Inquiry Notice

Get expert help immediately. Conduct an immediate compliance assessment. Build a credible action plan — not a list of promises, but a documented programme of specific actions with evidence that those actions have already been taken. Consider appointing a qualified External Transport Manager to demonstrate genuine oversight to the Traffic Commissioner.

If you have just received a Public Inquiry notice, call me today — time is critical. Contact Aegis now for immediate support.