Public Inquiry Attendees Must Not Break Quarantine Rules

The Office of the Traffic Commissioner has just circulated the following press release (21.08.2020):

PI attendees must follow the 14-day quarantine rule when arriving back in the UK from a country that is not on the exemption list.

In the short time since we reintroduced physical attendance at hearings, there have been several worrying incidents where people have arrived at a public inquiry almost immediately after flying back to the UK. This puts everyone’s health at risk and undermines the strict rules the government have put in place.

If you are due to attend a hearing within 14 days of returning to the UK, it’s vital that you check whether your travel destination is exempt from the quarantine rules. The rule can apply to all travel by coach, ferry, train or plane.

The safety of attendees, commissioners remains the main consideration when holding in-person hearings. Our staff have completed thorough risk assessments and have put measures in place to protect the health of all concerned.

Please let OTC staff know as soon as possible if you cannot attend a hearing in person due to the quarantine rules so that attendance by video link can be considered.

You can find more information on exemptions here.