Appointment details

Traffic Commissioner (North East)

Summary
About the appointment
Person specification
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
Attachments
Contact details

Summary

Organisation: Traffic Commissioners
Sponsor department: Department for Transport
Location: North East
Sectors: Transport
Skills: Legal, Judicial
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: 37 hour(s) per week
Remuneration: £125,522 per annum
Length of term: Permanent
Application deadline: 11pm on 4 August 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

7 July 2026
Application deadline

11pm on 4 August 2026
Sifting date

28 August 2026
Interviews expected to end on

9 October 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Minister

Welcome Note from Simon Lightwood, Minister for Roads and Buses

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the post of Traffic Commissioner.

This is an important time for the Department for Transport. We are investing heavily in infrastructure and public transport to improve journeys, boost connections, level up the country and support economic growth. Central to our mission is delivering transport that works for everyone in our society.

We are recruiting for a new Traffic Commissioner to be based in the North East of England. Traffic Commissioners are the only tribunal function sponsored by the Department for Transport and fulfil a vital role in keeping the public safe and supporting industry.

The post holder will need to be able to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders and to demonstrate personal integrity as well as sound legal judgement and impartiality in all aspects of decision-making. We believe that our public appointments should be reflective of our society.

As part of the Department’s commitment to diversity, we welcome applications from people irrespective of their disability, ethnicity, or gender, who can bring wide experience and dynamic ideas to the role. We are open to fresh talent, expertise, and perspectives, to help us better understand the needs of the communities we serve. This includes people who may have never applied for a public appointment – but could bring new ideas, insights, and energy.

If you are interested in the role of the Traffic Commissioner, I would like to encourage you to apply. Our dedicated Department for Transport Public Appointments Team would be happy to talk through the public appointment process and answer your questions.

Simon Lightwood MP

Minister for Roads and Buses

Appointment description

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Traffic Commissioners have responsibility in their traffic area for:

The licensing of the operators of goods vehicles and of buses and coaches (public service vehicles or PSVs);
The registration of local bus services;
Granting vocational licences and taking action against drivers of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and PSVs;
The environmental suitability of centres designated as parking locations for HGVs.

Traffic Commissioners promote:

The safe operation of goods vehicles and PSVs;
Fair competition between operators;
Reducing the burden on compliant operators;
The safe and responsible conduct of HGV and PSV drivers.

The Traffic Commissioners’ main functions can be summarised as follows:

To ensure that people operating goods vehicles and PSVs are reputable (fit), competent, and adequately funded;
To encourage all operators to adopt robust systems, so that there is fair competition and that the operation of goods and public service vehicles is safe;
To consider on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport the fitness of drivers or those applying for public service vehicle or heavy goods vehicle driving licences based on their conduct;
To consider, and where appropriate impose traffic regulation conditions to prevent danger to road users and/or reduce traffic congestion and/or pollution;
To ensure public inquiry proceedings are fair and free from any unjustified interference or bias;
To engage with stakeholders - listening to industry, meeting with local authorities, trade organisations, passenger groups and operators and presenting seminars.

The Traffic Commissioners’ role is important to both commercial vehicle operators and the wider public. Commissioners operate in an exposed and sensitive position. They must maintain the confidence of a wide range of stakeholders and ensure personal integrity as well as sound judgement and impartiality in all aspects of decision-making. Traffic Commissioners must also have regard to helping the growth of the economy through the Regulators Code and The Economic Growth (Regulatory Functions) Order 2017.

In the performance of their duties Traffic Commissioners seek to act in accordance with the standards expected of those in public life, namely proportionality; accountability; consistency; transparency and targeting. Those values underpin their approach as modern regulators. Traffic Commissioners are subject to regular appraisals and peer review in line with the competencies identified for equivalent members of the tribunal judiciary.

Note: If a candidate holds or acquires a financial interest in a transport undertaking which carries passengers or goods by road or rail within Great Britain it is required that they within four weeks give notice of that acquisition in writing to the Secretary of State specifying the interest you have acquired. This is required in accordance with paragraph 2 of schedule 2 to the Passenger Vehicles Act 1981.

Organisation description

About the Traffic Commissioners

Traffic Commissioners are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport but are independent statutory public post holders. They act both as independent regulators and in a judicial role, as single person tribunals when conducting public inquiries in relation to licence applications and disciplinary matters and demonstrate impartiality in all aspects of decision making.

Traffic Commissioners were historically the ‘competent authority’ fulfilling the requirements of EU Regulation 1071/2009, and undertaking the regulation of road transport undertakings, including the power to set conditions, impose sanctions and remove the authorisation to operate. They continue to hold this essential function for the UK and have important regulatory functions in relation to the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Through deployment each Traffic Commissioner has a responsibility for a defined geographical area and is regionally based. There are eight traffic areas in Great Britain. Traffic Commissioners must have regard to the Statutory Guidance issued by the Senior Traffic Commissioner and act under general directions. Traffic Commissioners work together to deliver consistent and transparent national regulation, whilst maintaining localised service and knowledge. Deputies are also associated with a specific area, but as with full-time Traffic Commissioners, may hear cases in other parts of the country depending on demand.

Traffic Commissioners are supported by a team of staff (employed by the DVSA) based regionally and in the centralised licensing team in Leeds. The team deals with the administration of the licensing systems and carries out routine licensing functions under the delegated authority of the Traffic Commissioners.

The Traffic Commissioners are sponsored by the Department for Transport.

Person specification

Essential criteria

Part One: Experience - Essential criteria

Demonstrate an ability to understand complex legal issues, to reach fair, evidence-based decisions and to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels.
Demonstrable experience of operating at a senior level in industry or government, ideally with a road transport focus, or qualified as a lawyer
Experience of developing and delivering a communication or engagement strategy leading to behavioural change

Part Two: Key behaviours

Ability to grasp the principles of administrative law and to conduct legal proceedings and investigations in public.
Ability to make sound, open, and impartial decisions and to employ excellent problem solving, analysis and evaluation skills.
Able to question insightfully and provide constructive challenge to get to the heart of the matter quickly; able to put complex legal issues or proceedings into clear and concise language (both verbally and in writing).
Sound judgement skills; able to reach clear, reasoned, fair, impartial and evidence-based decisions.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Self-confident and politically astute.
Able to work at pace to manage a demanding caseload, ensuring timely progression of hearings and decisions
Willingness to embrace change, including early adoption of new technologies and contribute to the development and modernisation of the operator licensing system.
Demonstrate a sound understanding of sensitivities and complexities surrounding public inquiry and tribunals.
Commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining the quality and consistency of service standards. Able to work in a highly collegiate manner including participation at the Traffic Commissioner Board and with other public authorities.
A solid commitment to high ethical standards of integrity and honesty, and an understanding of the value and importance of the Seven Principles of Public Life.

Application and selection process

How to apply

To help you succeed, we have provided application guidance on our public appointments campaign page.

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in. Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all applicants are required to provide:

equality information (including the option of ‘prefer not to say’)
information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
a supporting statement
a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate. You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

If you require any adjustments or have questions about the process, you should contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.
An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.
At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.
Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.
The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.
Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.
Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.
Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Kevin Rooney, STC – Public Body Representative

Kevin Rooney

Kevin Rooney, STC has no political activity to declare.

TBC, DfT SCS – Departmental Official

DfT SCS

TBC, DfT SCS has no political activity to declare.

TBC, IPM – Independent Panel Member

IPM

TBC, IPM has no political activity to declare.

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards.

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

you are disqualified from acting as a company director (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);
have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;
your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this.
you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points.

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact DfTPublicAppointments@dft.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Public Offices and bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity.

We collect and monitor diversity data about applicants’ characteristics, including people’s educational and professional backgrounds, to understand the diversity of applicants and appointees. As set out in section 3 of our privacy notice, we do this to ensure we are attracting a broad range of people and our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it is difficult to see whether the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups or our changes are making a positive difference.

When you apply, you can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. Once you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. We use this anonymised data to create reports on the timing and outcomes of our recruitment campaigns, as well as the diversity of our appointees. This transparency helps us create a fairer environment for everyone by highlighting where we need to do better.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol to show our commitment to good practice in appointing disabled people. The scheme helps our organisation recruit and retain the expertise of these applicants, supporting their journey into leadership roles in public life.

As part of the scheme, the panel will aim to offer an interview to those who meet the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advertisement, and who have asked that their application be considered under the scheme. If a high volume of applications is received, the panel will ensure that a proportionate number of interviews are offered to disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria, rather than all of those candidates.

Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will not prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria' we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates how you meet the level of competence required under each criteria. This does not mean that all disabled applicants are entitled to an interview. If you have any questions or want to discuss your application in confidence, please contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure applicants with disabilities and/or, long term conditions, covered under both the Equality Act 2010 (England, Scotland & Wales) and Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (Northern Ireland) are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. We aim to create an accessible and supportive experience that allows every applicant to demonstrate their full range of talents and perspectives and work closely with applicants to ensure that any necessary reasonable adjustments are in place to remove any barriers. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.Some examples of common changes are:

ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats (for example, large print);
making adaptations to interview locations including hybrid arrangements;
allowing applicants to present their skills and experience in a different way, for example receiving interview themes in advance, having additional processing time during assessments, or choosing a communication style that best showcases their skills. Examples of different styles may include a video or audio application or a presentation in place of a supporting statement;
giving additional detailed information on the selection and interview process in advance to allow applicants time to prepare themselves;
arranging support such as British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters or allowing support workers;
making provision for support animals to attend where possible;

If you require any reasonable adjustments, you will have the chance to request these early in the application process;

If you have any questions or want to discuss your application in confidence, you should contact the team as early as possible using the email listed under 'Contact details' at the end of the advertisement.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully:

any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government;
any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made;
and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported;

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies.

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Your appointment as Traffic Commissioner will be made by the Secretary of State.

The appointment will be permanent.

It should be noted that this post is a public appointment; Traffic Commissioners are neither employees of the Crown nor the Department for Transport. Appointments may be ended prior to the conclusion of the period of appointment.

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

£125,522 per annum
Remuneration is taxable through payroll, and the appointment is pensionable.
Members can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred at rates set centrally by the Department for Transport.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

Remuneration is taxable through payroll, and the appointment is pensionable.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

If you are not completely satisfied with the way your application is handled at any stage of the competition, please raise any complaint in the first instance with:

Via email: DfT Public Appointments DfTPublicAppointments@dft.gov.uk

Public Appointments Team

Shareholding, Appointments and Inquiries

Department for Transport

Great Minster House

33 Horseferry Road

London

SW1P 4DR

We will aim to reply to your complaint within 20 days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is the joint controller, with the Cabinet Office, for any personal data which you provide to us as part of your application.

Information provided as part of this application will be kept securely within DfT and destroyed within 5 years of the conclusion of the recruitment campaign.

DfT uses this form to gather evidence on DfT’s public appointments.

The lawful basis that applies to this processing is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest to inform DfT’s recruitment policies in accordance with the Department’s public sector equality duties. For processing special category personal data (disability, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity), we rely on Article 9(2)(g), reasons of substantial public interest (equality of opportunity and treatment).

Attachments

Traffic Commissioner - TCfNE - Candidate Pack Final.pdf

Contact details