Senior Traffic Commissioner Richard Turfitt will update the transport industry on the regulators’ latest guidance and outline how they are reducing the burden on compliant operators at the Microlise Transport Conference in May.

Traffic commissioners play a vital role in the road transport industry by regulating Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators and assessing the conduct of professional drivers. Their work helps maintain fair competition between operators and encourage good businesses to stay compliant.

In his role as Great Britain’s Senior Traffic Commissioner, Mr Turfitt is responsible for the way the commissioners apply their statutory duties. In November last year, he released revised guidance explaining how they exercise those duties.

“We are modernising our services to better support those operators who want to comply with licensing and safety standards. By doing this we should be able to target resources at addressing irresponsible and incompetent operators and take action where appropriate,” said Mr Turfitt.

“We have made progress on improving the administrative processes so that responsible operators enjoy quicker decisions. At the Microlise Transport Conference I’ll be outlining what we have achieved and what’s next.”

The Microlise Transport Conference has established itself as the industry’s premier conference, offering an exciting and engaging programme of speakers, complimented by four workshop areas, an exhibition featuring innovative industry suppliers and the opportunity to network with an audience of 1,200.

The confirmation of such a high profile speaker reaffirms the Conference’s important status in the annual transport calendar, says Bob Harbey, Microlise Executive Director.

“Traffic commissioners have the most influential voice in road transport when it comes to compliance and the consequences of failing to meet safety standards,” said Harbey.

“What they say and do has an immediate impact on the daily operations of transport businesses across the country. Our post-conference survey following last year’s event indicated that our delegates are hungry for more content from the TCs and that’s why we’re really pleased to be able to confirm Mr Turfitt’s involvement in the 2019 conference at this early stage.”

The Microlise Transport Conference is aimed at those working in management or operational roles within fleet operators, regardless of fleet size, industry sector or which technologies they have in place. The one-day conference is free to attend, with a programme designed to provide valuable insights to delegates that inform their business and strategic decisions.

The free-to-attend event will take place at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 15th May 2019. Last year more than 1,200 logistics professionals attended, making it the largest road transport conference in Europe.