BR'S Firm not fit for licence
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• A South Yorkshire company which ran vehicles without an Operator's Licence and in a dangerous condition has lost its bid for a licence.
Newsupa, of Doncaster, had applied to North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe for a new four-vehicle licence.
The hearing was adjourned in July for the company to take legal advice after a public inquiry heard it had been operating vehicles without an 0-licence and in a dangerous condition (CM 743 August).
For the company, Chris Charlesworth conceded that it had been convicted of employing an unqualified driver and of using a dangerous vehicle, paying fines and casts of some £1,200.
Hinchliffe was told by the police that they had stopped a vehicle operated by the company on 22 July. It appeared to be another rase of unauthorised use. although the company had previously been warned that any further unauthorised use would be taken very seriously.
Managing director Brian Mahon said that a previous company had been struck off after correspondence from Companies House went to a previous address. As the new company had the same name, he had thought it could continue to use the previous company's 0-licence.
Since the previous hearing one vehicle had been used on dockside haulage unloading ships. When the vehicles were carrying supplies for gas pipelines they were exempt from the tachograph regulations, said Mahon.
He promised that the vehicles would be inspected every six weeks as part of a pilot scheme by the Beverley test station and any repairs would be carried out by a commercial garage.
In reply to the Deputy TC, Mahon said the company had continued operating after interim authority was refused because it had to stay in business. He denied that the 22 July incident had been deliberate defiance, saying that the vehicle had merely been carrying stone for the company's own purposes.
Refusing the application, Hinchliffe said he could not be satisfied the company was fit to hold a licence.
The incident on 22 July showed blatant disregard of what had been said at the previous hearing and the company appeared to him to have a cavalier disregard of the law.