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Ignoring VOSA's letters leads to revocation
Page 23
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A COMPANY THAT had its licence revoked after it ignored letters from VOSA has lost its appeal before the Transport Tribunal.
Kent-based Star Forwarding appealed against a decision made by South Eastern & Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown.
The company held a licence based in Dover. In September, following a vehicle examiner visit, VOSA wrote to the Dover address raising issues about driver defect reporting and the period between inspections. No reply was received and a reminder was sent.
In October, the firm notified the Traffic Area Office (TAO) that it had changed its correspondence address to Lympne. In November, the company replied to VOSA from the new address, saying the issues raised had been dealt with.
The VOSA letters had been referred to the TC, and in November, the TAO wrote asking why VOSA had received no replies. That letter was sent to the Lympne address and it warned that action would be taken if no reply was received. No reply was received and the TC revoked the licence in December. The company then wrote to the TAO enclosing the letter it had sent to VOSA, but the TC decided that the revocation should stand.
Before the Tribunal, Peter Luxford, for the company, agreed that it had failed to reply not only to the VOSA letters sent to the old address, but also to the TAO letter sent to the new address in November.
The Tribunal concluded that in the light of the history, the TC had not been wrong in the action he took.