Professional drivers: how do traffic commissioners deal with conduct issues?

Regulators have the power to take action against vocational licences 

Dealing with driver conduct issues is a key part of the traffic commissioners’ work. 

Every day they receive reports about drivers who’ve done something that affects their conduct. This covers those who apply for new vocational licences as well as existing licence holders. 

Many of the cases involve an offence that’s resulted in action by the police, such as using a hand held mobile phone whilst driving or drink driving. 

For others, it could be part of an operator case involving false records. 

The traffic commissioner’s role is to look at the driver’s conduct as a whole – both good and bad. They have to decide whether the driver is unfit to be given or continue holding a vocational licence. 

So the commissioner’s judgement doesn’t just focus on the matter that’s been reported. 

They use starting points to decide what action will be taken on different conduct issues. These are published in the Senior Traffic Commissioner’s Statutory Document on driver conduct, which offers valuable guidance to the industry. 

Here are just a few examples of the action drivers can face:

Starting points help the commissioners to be consistent when making decisions. But they’re able to move up or down from the suggested approach when deciding what action to take. 

Every case is considered on its own merits, taking into account any aggravating and/or mitigating features. 

To read some case examples and see how commissioners consider specific issues, please see our vocational driver conduct guidance.