Senior traffic commissioner (TC) Beverley Bell has said the number of public inquiries (PIs) that result in no action being taken, at a time when the TCs are seeking ways of making better use of their limited resources, is a concern.

In the TCs’ annual reports for the 2014-15 financial year, Bell said there were 92 cases where no action was taken against an operator or transport manager at a PI – 6% up on the previous year’s figure, despite the number of PIs held annually dropping 6% to 859.

“My colleagues and I are looking at ways of diverting these cases away from a PI so that we can make the best use of our limited tribunal time and that we do not unnecessarily call operators to an inquiry,” said Bell.

The number of PIs carried out in the Eastern area alone had increased by a third to 172 (2013-14: 126). Richard Turfitt, Eastern TC, described the average TC working week determined by the Triennial Review earlier this year as a “gross underestimation”.

North East TC Kevin Rooney said he has been working with staff from the Office of the Traffic Commissioner to trial alternatives to a PI, including giving operators the opportunity to undergo training or attend a shorter, less formal preliminary hearing.

He said: “This has led to an overall drop in the number of full PIs undertaken and, more importantly, has freed up resources so operators posing significant safety or competition risks can be brought to public inquiry more quickly.”

North West deputy TC Simon Evans said the traffic area had seen a rise in the number of preliminary hearings, which he said were “no less vigorous in examining the root causes of non-compliance”.

O-licence number crunching

The total number of O-licences in issue last year fell 2.7% to 75,595; standard national O-licences dropped by 3% to 27,739; standard international licences dropped by 1% to 7,960; and restricted O-licences fell by 3% to 39,896.

The total number of goods vehicles specified on O-licences increased by 2% to 343,674.

Standard international O-licence holders saw their vehicle parc increase by 3% to 76,869; vehicles on standard national O-licences increased 2% to 172,260; and the number of HGVs on restricted O-licences was stagnant at 94,545.

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