Haulier is halted over tax
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A haulier who was running an untaxed vehicle when he was convicted of previously running without tax for 11 months, has had his 0-licence revoked with a 12-month disqualification.
Connahs Quay, Clwydbased Derek Rogers, who held a three-vehicle licence, had been called before Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon at a Mold disciplinary Inquiry but failed to appear.
Vehicle examiner David Collings said he visited Rogers' home in August 1998 and asked him to produce 12 months' tachograph records. He was told they were at Rogers' garage on Deeside and that he would produce them within seven days. A week later Rogers reported that the records had been stolen.
According to the DVLA database the tax on Rogers' vehicle had expired in December 1996 and was not renewed until April 1998. Records obtained from Bodfari Quarries showed the vehicle had been used for 1,119 journeys over 11 months. In April 1999 Rogers was convicted of using it without an excise licence. He was ordered to pay fines, costs and back duty totalling £4,553 (CM 20-25 May).
Collings told the TC that he saw Rogers' vehicle in use in May—according to the DVLA the excise licence had expired at the end of March and had not been renewed until the beginning of May.
Records obtained from Moon showed the vehicle had made 17 journeys on its behalf during April. Rogers had skipped a month's tax and made a false declaration to the DVLA to hide that fact.
He was subsequently convicted of using the vehicle without tax, making a false declaration and failing to have a two-yearly tachograph check. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £2.361.66.
When he applied for his 0licence, Rogers failed to declare a conviction for the fraudulent use of a registration mark in February 1995,
Ceilings added.
Revoking the licence, the TC concluded that this was almost a case of whatever Rogers could do wrong, he had done wrong. Rogers had been cheating both the Government and other operators who taxed their vehicles property. Financial evidence had not been forthcoming and Rogers' request to pay the fines by instalments suggested that there was inadequate finance.