“A calm authority and a deep sense of fairness.” That’s how colleagues sum up Richard Turfitt, who has been appointed OBE in the King’s New Year Honours, confirmed on 2 January 2026. For the North’s haulage and bus firms, it’s recognition for a figure whose decisions are felt every day out on the road.

Turfitt has served as Traffic Commissioner for the East of England since May 2008 and led nationally as Senior Traffic Commissioner from June 2017 to May 2025. He is also acting Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, reflecting a career that now spans both sides of the Border.

Through Brexit disruption and the pandemic, he kept the regulator’s wheels turning by moving hearings online and digitising casework so operators could be scrutinised without shutting down services. It was a practical fix that meant compliance didn’t pause when the country did.

His tenure also sharpened statutory guidance and deepened joint working with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, giving operators clearer expectations on O‑licences and driver conduct. That consistency has set the tone for fleets based from the Humber and Tees through to West Yorkshire.

Senior Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney says Turfitt’s approach set a benchmark, praising his “calm authority” and fairness. The honour, colleagues say, reflects sustained work on road safety and justice rather than any shift in enforcement.

For Northern operators, most face‑to‑face dealings with the regulator run through the North Eastern Traffic Area hearing centre in Leeds. Since September 2024, public inquiries and licensing teams have been based at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, LS2 7UE - a relocation that centralised teams and modernised facilities. Those arrangements continue into 2026.

His acting role in Scotland matters for firms running cross‑Border. Appointed in April 2025, he continues to oversee licensing and driver conduct there - where the commissioner also handles taxi farescale appeals, a Scotland‑specific duty.

From Hull to Hartlepool and along the M62, operators will read this as recognition for steady, sometimes unsung work that keeps standards high and the wheels turning. The message is simple: the rules are clear, the bar remains high, and the North’s roads are safer for it.