Scott Bell

Practice Areas

Scott Co-Heads JMW Solicitors’ Commercial Road Transport team. He is recognised nationally as a leading specialist advising operators across the haulage, coach and bus sectors on the full spectrum of matters relating to the licensing and regulation of commercial road transport. He has represented businesses ranging from family-owned SMEs, to some of the UK’s major bus and coach companies as well as well-known ‘household name’ haulage companies across sectors including retail, parcel delivery, waste, pharmaceutical and medical, animal feed, construction, scaffolding, fuel and agriculture.

His expertise includes:

• Public Inquiries, Preliminary Hearings and Driver Conduct Hearings before the Traffic Commissioners

• Appeals against Traffic Commissioner decisions to the Upper Tribunal

• Applications for new goods vehicle and passenger vehicle Operator’s Licences and variations to existing Operator’s Licences

• Advice and representation in connection with DVSA, Police, Trading Standards, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, HMRC and UK Border Force investigations relating to the use of commercial vehicles

• Restructuring of transport businesses in connection with acquisitions, disposals, mergers or insolvency proceedings

• Bus reliability and punctuality investigations

• Pro-active advice and training in respect of vehicle maintenance, drivers’ hours and other driver management compliance systems for the purposes of the Operator’s Licence undertakings

Career

Road transport is in Scott’s DNA, as prior to becoming a Solicitor, he worked in the logistics sector including time at TNT Express (now FedEx) in both operational and legal roles.

Scott qualified with a boutique transport law firm in 2010 and has acted for hauliers, coach and bus operators for his entire legal career.

Professional Memberships

The Law Society.

Scott also works closely with many of the trade associations supporting the road transport sector and their members. He is a member of RHA, CPT, Worshipful Company of Carmen, Women in Bus and Coach.

Publications

Scott regularly presents at industry events, trade association briefings, trade shows and Traffic Commissioner evenings, delivers training seminars and webinars to the industry and provides articles and commentary to the trade, regional and national press.