‘O’ licensing is the responsibility of the Department for Transport (DfT). The UK is dividend into eight Traffic Areas and each of the areas is looked after by a Traffic Commissioner. Initially each Traffic Area had its own Commissioner and Traffic Area Office but, in an attempt to reduce costs, some Commissioners now look after two areas. The eight current Traffic Areas are:
- Scottish
- North Western
- North Eastern
- Eastern
- West Midlands
- Welsh
- Western
- South Eastern and Metropolitan
Much of the basic administration of ‘O’ licensing is conducted on behalf of the Traffic Commissioners by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Central Licensing Office (CLO) based in Leeds.