Public inquiries in West of England (Bristol)

What a public inquiry is

A hearing before a Traffic Commissioner (or a deputy) about an operator licence or an application. The commissioner hears the evidence and then decides: no action, a warning, conditions, curtailment, suspension, revocation or disqualification. Being called to an inquiry is not a finding against the operator.

What the sections mean

Goods licences (Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995): section 26 regulatory action, section 27 the standard licence requirements (good repute, financial standing, professional competence), section 28 disqualification, section 13 or 17 an application or variation, and Schedule 3 a transport manager’s repute. PSV licences (Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981): section 17 revocation, suspension or curtailment, section 16 conditions, section 14 an application.

Where this list comes from

Each traffic area’s Office of the Traffic Commissioner publishes inquiries in its weekly Applications and Decisions (goods) and Notices and Proceedings (PSV) on GOV.UK. We read every issue, keep the licence number, date, time, venue and sections, and link each row to its notice. A hearing can be moved or cancelled after publication; the notice is the authority.

Who is listed

Companies and other organisations, by name. 4 upcoming inquiries concern sole traders, partnerships or applicants not named in the notice: we count them but do not name them. Transport manager inquiries are not listed: they concern a person, not a licence.

After the hearing

The outcome appears in a later issue (section “Decisions taken at public inquiries”) and, for many cases, as a written decision on GOV.UK. Both show on the licence’s page here. Guide: what happens at a public inquiry

Monitoring emails you when a licence on your list is called to an inquiry, usually weeks before anything changes in the DVSA file. How monitoring works