Transport

The legal profession is evolving, and so are the routes to qualification. With the introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), aspiring solicitors now have more flexible, inclusive, and practical pathways to enter the profession.

Georgina Power, Transport Solicitor at Rothera Bray and winner of the Nottinghamshire Law Society’s Junior Lawyer of the Year Award 2025, recently shared her remarkable journey into the legal profession. From launching a new career in her mid-thirties while juggling family life and a business, to qualifying as a solicitor and earning one of the region’s most prestigious legal accolades, Georgina’s experience highlights her hard work, adaptability and professional growth.

When it comes to operator licence compliance, timing is everything. If issues have been identified, the best time to act is immediately. Waiting until a Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry or hoping things will resolve on their own is a risky strategy that rarely ends well.

A crucial but often overlooked legal issue facing many transport operators is the potential loss of an Operator Licence due to outdated rules in the Partnership Act 1890 and the risks posed by poorly structured or informal partnership arrangements.

Our latest transport law article explains how operators can still face overloading offences under a Special Types General Order (STGO).

You usually only need an operator’s licence if you operate goods vehicles or public service vehicles over 3.5t.

However, in 2022 the UK introduced new regulations so that certain vans between 2.5t and 3.5t require an operators’ licence or they could be operating unlawfully.

Attention to all Fleet Managers, Operators and Drivers travelling from Europe to the UK!

Open consultation – Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme

Up until 11:45pm on 12 September 2022, the UK Government are consulting on new regulations related to vehicle security and a new Level of Penalty: Code of Practice.

As of 28 June 2022, a new offence of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving will apply. If your driving is “below” the expected and results in the “serious injury” of another, then this can be construed as causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.

It is not easy being an External Transport Manager. You have the same responsibilities as a full-time in-house Transport Manager however you might only be contracted for a handful of hours a week in the case of a single vehicle operator. Even for a diligent External Transport Manager it can be difficult to exercise continuous and effective control when you may only see the vehicles you are responsible for a few hours a week.

This guide is intended to be a short, no-nonsense crib sheet for External Transport Managers. It is by no means comprehensive, but it does flag up some of the more common issues that can ultimately lead to problems with the Traffic Commissioner.

Being called to a Driver Conduct Hearing by the Traffic Commissioner can be a very stressful experience under any circumstances. Whether the hearing takes place in person at the Traffic Commissioner’s office or virtually, the pressure of responding to allegations and being cross examined by the Traffic Commissioner can lead to sleepless nights.

Rothera Bray’ Senior Associate Chris Powell recently spoke to Pete Rushmer, Founder and Managing Director of Flagship Partners and host of the podcast ‘A Half Dozen Things’ about his work as a transport lawyer at Rothera Bray. 

Transport Solicitor Chris Powell looks at 5 common mistakes transport companies can make when responding to a DVSA desk based assessment.