Government Agencies

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), hold more than 50 million driver records and more than 40 million vehicle records. They collect over £7 billion a year in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED).

The DVLA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Transport.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Transport

They carry out driving tests, approve people to be driving instructors and MOT testers, carry out tests to make sure lorries and buses are safe to drive, carry out roadside checks on drivers and vehicles, and monitor vehicle recalls.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Earned Recognition scheme is a voluntary initiative designed for operators of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and public service vehicles (PSVs) to prove they meet exemplary driver and vehicle standards. To gain this status, operators must use a DVSA-validated IT system to continuously monitor their own compliance against key performance indicators (KPIs), which automatically reports to the DVSA every four weeks if any targets are missed. Achieving Earned Recognition marks an operator as a gold-standard business; it reduces roadside inspections and premises visits by enforcement staff, grants the right to use the prestigious scheme logo, and provides direct access to a dedicated DVSA support team.

The scheme acts as a powerful driver for vehicle maintenance and road safety by replacing reactive, roadside policing with a proactive, digital system of preventative compliance. Rather than waiting for defects to be flagged during random road stops, operators must routinely audit their management systems and maintain rigorous digital records of vehicle roadworthiness and drivers’ hours. By digitalising maintenance tracking and subjecting operators to biennial independent audits, the scheme ensures that safety-critical defects—such as tyre and brake wear—are caught and rectified early, fostering a culture of continuous preventative maintenance that ultimately reduces accidents and ensures safer UK roads.

The Ministry of Defence work for a secure and prosperous United Kingdom with global reach and influence. They protect our people, territories, values and interests at home and overseas, through strong armed forces and in partnership with allies, to ensure our security, support our national interests and safeguard our prosperity.

The Ministry of Defence is a ministerial department, supported by 26 agencies and public bodies.

National Highways is the government company charged with operating, maintaining and improving England’s motorways and major A roads. Their ambition is to ensure our major roads are more dependable, durable and – most importantly – are safe.

National Trading Standards is responsible for gathering important intelligence from around the country to combat rogue traders and tackle a number of priorities. These priorities currently include mass marketing and internet scams to other enforcement issues that go beyond local authority boundaries.

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) is a registered charity. It supports the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety. Its aim is to advise and inform members of the House of Commons and of the House of Lords on air, rail and road safety issues. It brings together safety professionals and legislators to identify research-based solutions to transport safety problems having regard to cost, effectiveness, achievability and acceptability. In recent years it has paid increasing attention to the links between transport safety, sustainability and public health.

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency for Scotland, functioning as an executive arm of the Scottish Government. Its primary mission is to deliver a sustainable, safe, and efficient transport system that supports economic growth and reduces carbon emissions. The agency oversees a vast range of critical infrastructure, including the management of the 3,500km trunk road network, the monitoring of rail and ferry services, and the operation of major aviation and maritime links to island communities.

Beyond infrastructure maintenance, the agency is responsible for national transport strategy and policy, including the delivery of concessionary travel schemes and the promotion of “active travel” like cycling and walking. A significant part of its current focus is the National Transport Strategy (NTS2), which aims to decarbonise Scotland’s transport network by 2045. This includes specific goals such as removing the need for new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.