Traffic Commissioners’ annual report 2025-26: what operators need to know

On 30 September 2026 the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain published their annual report for 2025-26, together with their strategic objectives for 2026 to 2029. For anyone holding or managing an operator’s licence, it is the clearest signal of where regulatory attention will fall over the next three years.

The report sets two aims: a modern, efficient licensing system that reduces the burden on compliant operators, and safe road transport built on compliance and fair competition. The commissioners describe their role as preventative, removing unsafe operators before something goes wrong rather than after.

Below we pick out the four themes most relevant to goods and passenger operators, and what you can do about each one now.

1. Driver welfare is now a compliance issue

The commissioners link poor physical and mental health among drivers directly to road safety and to the industry’s workforce shortages. Their message to operators is plain: you should be testing your drivers, and you need effective systems for testing, education and driver engagement.

The report also highlights the risk of isolation for drivers who spend long periods working alone, and points to industry initiatives such as Logistics UK’s Thrive programme as examples of good practice.

What to do now:

• Check you have a written drug and alcohol policy, and that drivers know it exists and how testing works.
• Make sure medical and eyesight checks are recorded, not just assumed, and that driver licence checks are up to date.
• Use Driver CPC periodic training to cover health, fatigue and how drivers can raise concerns.

2. Accessibility failures are reaching public inquiry

For bus and coach operators, the report states that failures to comply with the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) are now being considered at public inquiries. The commissioners acknowledge rising retrofitting costs but expect operators to plan for compliance rather than wait.

The timing matters. On 1 October 2026 the final phase of the Accessible Information Regulations came into force, meaning every vehicle used on a local bus service must now give passengers audible and visible information on the route, destination and next stop.

What to do now:

• Audit every vehicle that could be used on a registered local service, including spares and older vehicles.
• Add accessibility equipment (ramps, displays, announcements) to your driver walkround checks and defect reporting process.
• Brief drivers on what to do if equipment fails during a shift, and consider safeguarding and disability awareness training for passenger-facing staff.

3. Maintenance recognition is growing, but it is not a shortcut

The Maintenance Provision Rating Scheme, which recognises workshops that meet set standards, now has 227 workshops signed up and a further 170 expressing interest. That gives operators more ways to show they are using a capable maintenance provider.

The commissioners are clear, though, that recognition schemes do not replace full compliance with your licence undertakings. Using a rated workshop helps, but you remain responsible for safety inspection intervals, defect rectification and record keeping.

The report also looks ahead to artificial intelligence, noting its potential in route planning and predictive maintenance while stressing that it cannot replace human judgement in regulatory decisions.

What to do now:

• Check your safety inspection intervals match what is on your licence, and that no vehicle has slipped past its due date.
• Review a sample of inspection sheets for complete sign-offs, brake test results and rectification records. Our maintenance system paperwork audit does this independently.
• If you use a third-party workshop, ask whether it is in the scheme, and keep your own oversight of its work. Our understanding your brake test report course helps managers read what they are signing off.

4. Three in four applications need a follow-up letter

According to the report, 75% of licence applications currently need at least one letter from the Office of the Traffic Commissioner before they can be decided. The commissioners want to move towards applications that are right first time.

Every follow-up letter adds time. For a new licence, or a variation to add vehicles or an operating centre, that delay can hold up contracts and growth.

What to do now:

• Have your financial standing evidence ready and current before you apply.
• Make sure your maintenance arrangements, operating centre details and transport manager information are complete and consistent.
• If you are unsure, get a Traffic Commissioner operator licence audit before submission rather than after the first letter arrives. Directors and managers new to the regime may find Operator Licence Awareness Training useful.

Your October compliance checklist

If you only have half an hour this month, work through these:

• Drug and alcohol policy in place, communicated and tested
• Driver licence, medical and Driver CPC records up to date
• Safety inspection intervals match your licence, with no overdue vehicles
• Inspection sheets complete, signed and showing brake test results
• Accessibility equipment checked on every vehicle used on local services
• Any upcoming application or variation reviewed before submission

How Lloyd Morgan Group can help

Lloyd Morgan Group supports goods and passenger operators across the UK with transport compliance audits, Transport Manager CPC courses for HGV and PSV operators, and Driver CPC training from our Cannock centre and on site.

If the annual report has raised questions about your own operation, get in touch with our team for a no-obligation conversation.

Sources

• Bus Users UK, New accessible information rules come into force for all local buses, October 2026. Secondary industry guidance summarising the Accessible Information Regulations.
• Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, Annual Report 2025-2026, GOV.UK, published 30 September 2026.
• GOV.UK, Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain publish 2025-26 annual report, press release, 30 September 2026.