Traffic Commissioners Adopt New Welsh Language Scheme to Strengthen Bilingual Services

Traffic Commissioners have introduced a new Welsh Language Scheme aimed at ensuring Welsh and English are treated equally in the delivery of services across Wales.

The scheme, which received approval from the Welsh Language Commissioner in May before being published last week, has been adopted voluntarily despite there being no legal requirement for Traffic Commissioners to do so.

Under the new framework, the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) and the commissioners themselves have committed to incorporating Welsh language considerations into their operations and decision-making processes when carrying out regulatory functions in Wales.

Traffic Commissioners oversee the licensing and regulation of heavy goods vehicle, bus and coach operators, while also managing the registration of local bus services. The new scheme is intended to ensure Welsh speakers can access these services on an equal basis with English speakers.

The document outlines a series of commitments covering communication with the public, service delivery standards, publications, promotional materials and the handling of enquiries and complaints. It also establishes arrangements for monitoring performance and identifying future improvements in the provision of Welsh language services.

According to the scheme, Welsh language considerations will be taken into account when developing new policies and services to ensure that Welsh speakers are not placed at a disadvantage.

The framework has been developed using guidance issued by the Welsh Language

Commissioner and will be made available to both staff and service users.

Welsh Language Schemes are designed to demonstrate how organisations will support the use of Welsh and ensure the language receives equal treatment alongside English. While many public bodies operating in Wales are already subject to formal Welsh language requirements, Traffic Commissioners have chosen to adopt the scheme voluntarily.

The move brings the organisation into closer alignment with a growing number of transport and public sector bodies that have established formal commitments to bilingual service delivery.

Although Welsh language standards have not yet been formally imposed on Traffic Commissioners, the new scheme signals a clear intention to embed Welsh language principles throughout their work and improve accessibility for Welsh-speaking communities over the next three years.

The initiative reflects broader efforts across Wales to promote linguistic equality and ensure public services remain accessible to people who choose to communicate through the Welsh language.