Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry Concluded in Ten Minutes Flat

This operator, represented at Public Inquiry by barrister Harry Bowyer, was called in as a result of an adverse DVSA desk based assessment. The operator sought advice and accepted that his systems needed overhauling immediately after receiving the adverse report and instructed a reputable transport consultant to help him become compliant. this was done with sufficient time for the Traffic Commissioner to see, when the documents were submitted, that the new systems were being operated effectively. The Traffic Commissioner did not see the point of rehashing what was found at the desk based assessment as all of the faults had been fixed and he could barely find fault in the documentation submitted and dealt with the case by way of a formal warning.

Moral: If you take advice early and act on it then a call in to Public Inquiry will be a lot less painful. A few hundred pounds spent early could save tens of thousands lost later on as a result of revocation, suspension, curtailment or regular TC ordered audits.