Traffic Commissioners’ annual report marks 80th year of regulation

The traffic commissioners for Great Britain have marked the 80th year of commercial vehicle regulation by reinforcing their commitment to the promotion of road safety and fair competition.

Acknowledging the substantial changes in commercial transport since 1932, when the inaugural report was written, Senior Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell draws comparisons with the work of the present day commissioners.

Remarking on financial challenges and the pressure on resources, Mrs Bell renews the traffic commissioners’ objective to further modernise the regulation of goods and passenger transport and makes reference to the Framework Document commissioners published with the Department for Transport earlier this year.

"It is a vital document for all those who provide support to, and engage with, traffic commissioners," she concludes.

The annual reports of the seven independent traffic commissioners detail their work for 2011-2012, including a breakdown of the action they have taken at public inquiry, and explain how the traffic commissioners work to achieve their mission statement of championing safe, fair and reliable passenger and goods transport.

Reflecting on the commissioners’ achievements during the year, including the implementation of the new EU regulations and Statutory Guidance Documents, Mrs Bell acknowledged the "huge amount" of work each commissioner had delivered above and beyond their own jurisdiction, also extending her thanks to the deputy traffic commissioners, who undertook public inquiry work to support commissioners in their additional duties.

"Deputies are a valued resource bringing a rich breadth and diversity to our jurisdiction and I know that traffic commissioners appreciate their unstinting support," she remarked.

Looking forward Mrs Bell noted that commissioners had identified some key matters to progress in the coming year, including the need for proper data sharing agreements to be in place, the publication of a new set of Statutory Guidance Documents regarding bus punctuality and reliability, and clarification as to how the operator licence fee is spent so that they can receive the resources and support they need to regulate effectively.

She concluded: "I am confident we will remain as fit for purpose in the second decade of the 21st century as we did upon our invention in the third decade of the 20th century."