Poor record costs licence
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• Convictions for vehicle excise duty and tachograph offences have led Metropolitan Licensing Authority Air Vice-Marshal Ronald Ashford to revoke the 25-vehicle licence held by Sugnie Bros of Watford.
The company had been called to disciplinary proceedings in the light of 33 convictions and 24 mitigated penalties for the non-payment of vehicle excise duty; four convictions for failing to produce tachograph records, and five for failing to have tachographs recalibrated.
For the company, it was said that it had run into administrative difficulties and financial problems associated with the recession in the building industry. Those problems had been overcome and the business was now financially sound.
Revoking the licence, and refusing to grant the company's renewal application, Ashford said that its directors had failed to discharge their responsibility to see that it operated within the law. It seemed to him that the company had followed a deliberate policy of not taxing its vehicles. There were alternatives, including, if necessary, ceasing to operate the vehicles.
The extent of the tachograph offences further illustrated that the company appeared to have little regard for the law, said Ashford. The fact that the company was now back on the rails did not excuse its previous misconduct.