URTU fights revocations
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• The United Road Transport Union is campaigning against a spate of HGV licence revocations on medical grounds.
Over the past few months there has been a "catalogue of sudden withdrawals," says URTU general secretary Frank Griffin. He claims that the Driver Vehicle Licencing Agency has been behaving irresponsibly and warns that "along with the decision to force everyone to have an annual medical over the age of 45, there are tens of thousands of jobs being put at risk".
Griffin is preparing an eightpage paper on the subject which he will circulate to other trade unions and to employer associations. He says that the DVLA, "anonymously tucked away in Swansea, is not felt to be providing justice. There is a great deal of discontent and [will be citing specific cases in my paper."
Griffin wants regional appeal bodies to be set up to handle sudden decisions by the DVLA — at the moment it only has to give 14 days' notice of revocation and does not give detailed explanations.
Peter Nickell, an owner-driver from Heathfield, Devon, developed a heart complaint in 1983 but only had his licence revoked by the DVLA last November. He was given four days' notice.
After three medical tests proved he is healthy Nickell has applied to get his licence back, but has lost three months of earnings. "The DVLA should have given me a warning," he says. "I was assumed guilty until I could prove myself innocent."
His solicitor, Crosse and Crosse of Exeter, handles cases for the Road Haulage Associ ation and has dealt with similai case problems. It says the wa3 decisions are being made by thE DVLA without any warning tc the driver is "absolutely outrageous". It hopes to make th( DVLA pay Nickell's legal costs.
A DVLA medical specialisi says: "We try to be reasonabl( and are conscious that thes( licence holders who lose then licences will lose their jobs.' Nickell is not a member of URTU