AN OFFER THEY CAN'T REFUSE...
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Ever woken up with a horse's head in your bed? A few newly licensed hauliers in the South Eastern and Metropolitan Traffic Area might just feel as if they've received that equine incentive so favoured by certain Mafia godfathers. They've been sent a letter inviting them to a "talk" by Traffic Commissioner Brigadier Michael Turner. The purpose of this soiree? To tell them what's expected of each licence holder when it comes to vehicle maintenance, record keeping, drivers' hours and tachographs. In short, good housekeeping. It's not the first time a TC has held such an event; they've proved very successful throughout the country. What struck Commercial Motor was how the invitation was worded: "While there clearly is no obligation for you to attend we would expect that you will make every effort to take advantage of this opportunity." Forget about sick notes from Mum, or the trusty "the dog ate my homework" excuse; you ARE going to be there. And so you should be. Any operator who deliberately chooses to ignore the helping hand of the Traffic Commissioner shouldn't be surprised if the odd tonne of bricks lands on him when he falls foul of the law—accidentally or otherwise. As if to prove that, the letter adds ominously: "Certainly the Traffic Commissioner would be disappointed to see any operator before him at a public inquiry who had chosen not to make the effort to attend the evening." Get the message? The real clincher is the line that says: "A copy of this letter and your response will be placed on your file." Put like that, how could anyone refuse? Such evenings benefit all operators, old or new. So why avoid them? To para phrase Sir Winston Churchill, getting an 0-licence isn't the end. It's not even the beginning of the end. It's only the end of the beginning.