Senior Traffic Commissioner launches consultation

Senior Traffic Commissioner launches consultation to review approach in determining a driver’s suitability

Industry regulator seeks views on revised Statutory Guidance and Statutory Directions.

The Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain has today (17 April 2025) called on professional drivers, commercial vehicle operators, legal representatives and road safety stakeholders to take part in a review of guidance on the conduct of professional drivers.

The purpose of the driver conduct process is to ensure lorry, bus and coach drivers are fit to drive large commercial vehicles. The Statutory Document, which guides the approach traffic commissioners take to regulating drivers, has remained largely unchanged for years.

Previous reviews in 2015 and 2019 led to significant improvements and the traffic commissioners committed as part of their Strategic Objectives to consider whether this approach remains fit for purpose in the current century.

The 6 week consultation seeks feedback on proposed revisions and invites views on how the profile of traffic commissioners can be raised amongst the drivers they regulate.

Richard Turfitt, the Senior Traffic Commissioner, stated, “Our mission is to ensure road safety and maintain public confidence in the commercial driving sector. This consultation is a vital step in ensuring we are regulating vocational drivers in a way which is effective and proportionate to the risk they pose to other road users. We need your input to make sure our guidelines are fair, consistent, and transparent.”

The consultation runs until 29 May 2025.