CASE THREE
Page 19
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Transport manager’s disqualification cut
A TRANSPORT manager has won an appeal to have his disqualiication reduced from three years to two.
Upper Tribunal Judge Alan Gamble cut the period of disqualiication for Savpreet Singh Aulakh, aged 23, who had been part-time transport manager for two years at Wolverhampton-based Plan A Logistics. He took into account Aulakh’s relative youth and inexperience as a transport manager, and the fact he had not been the “controlling mind” of the operation.
Plan A Logistics had its O-licence revoked in April this year following a Vosa investigation into vehicle hire and maintenance arrangements at the business.
In a written decision, following a public inquiry (PI) in Birmingham, trafic commissioner (TC) for the West Midland trafic area Nick Jones disqualiied boss Derek William Woolley from holding a licence for ive years.
He also disqualiied Aulakh as a transport manager, saying he might be able to return after three years when he had retaken and passed fresh transport manager exams.
Aulakh had produced false documentation to Vosa with an intention to deceive, as did the operator. That documentation related to the maintenance records of vehicles, the hire of vehicles and warnings given to drivers.
The appeal only covered the decision to impose a three year disqualiication on Aulakh. Judge Gamble said the TC’s ruling relating to the company would stand.
Judge Gamble added: “It is appropriate, in our view, to make a greater distinction than that made by the TC in his decision between the period of disqualiication imposed on the operator [ive years] and that imposed on the appellant.”
Serious offence
In his decision the appeal judge emphasised the seriousness of the appellant’s conduct, particularly regarding the falsification of documentation supplied to Vosa.