It is the dread of every Operator’s Licence holder; opening a ‘call to Public Inquiry’ letter from the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. However, you are not alone – in 2018-19, there were 1568 Public Inquiries (plus 335 Preliminary Hearings and 126 Senior Team Leader interviews) involving haulage and passenger vehicle operators and their transport managers across England, Scotland and Wales.
How do I achieve the best Public Inquiry outcome?
The key to navigating a successful outcome at Public Inquiry is two-fold. The first is preparation, where the old adage “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” applies – it is vital that you respond to the issues promptly and that your HOUSE is in order by the date of the hearing. The second is the presentation of your case to the Traffic Commissioner on the day of the Public Inquiry itself – case strategy and advocacy skills are therefore key!
Leading representation from Backhouse Jones
With a niche specialism in commercial road transport, Backhouse Jones have a thousand first-hand experiences dealing with operators and transport managers who are experiencing a compliance hiccup or facing issues with the management of their Operator’s Licence. We are adept at handling Public Inquiries and are recognised by the independent Chambers Guide as “a market-leading practice with specialist expertise across the full spectrum of road regulatory matters” and “the premier firm dealing with road transport regulatory work with far and away the biggest market share of any firm in this field”.
Backhouse Jones’ eight-strong team of leading regulatory road transport Solicitors is the largest of its kind and handles more Public Inquiries each year than any other firm. We are intimately familiar with the Public Inquiry process and the expectations of the Traffic Commissioners and use our unrivalled expertise to hand-hold you through every step of your Public Inquiry journey.
Do I need a Solicitor?
The Public Inquiry is your one chance to demonstrate to the Traffic Commissioner that you have resolved the issues that led to the hearing and that they can trust you to operate compliantly. However, the Public Inquiry process can be a high pressure, stressful and emotionally draining experience for operators and transport managers and, in the face of potential career and business-changing consequences, many often find themselves overwhelmed, lost for words and feeling BACKed into a corner.
At Backhouse Jones, we seek to manage this situation for you, using our unrivalled expertise, our wealth of Public Inquiry experience and our objectivity to prepare you for the hearing and present your case to the Traffic Commissioner with clarity and precision, pushing BACK where required to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
You wouldn’t go to the World Cup final without your best striker! Don’t attend the Public Inquiry alone – arm yourself with the best representation available by choosing Backhouse Jones’ team of expert road transport solicitors by calling the office on 01254 828 300, emailing regulatory@backhouses.co.uk or click here for more information.