I t's all very well giving someone a second chance, but
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not everyone deserves it. News that LAs are to lose the power to prematurely terminate an erring haulier's 0-licence may strike some people as regrettable. CM couldn't disagree more. The option of terminating a licence early has always been a woolly weapon in the fight against the cowboys. It's often been linked to some "second-chance" whereby a miscreant would be warned to pull up his socks while being made fully aware of the LA's displeasure. Frankly it's a waste of time. Cutting the duration of a licence is unlikely to make a dyed-in-the-wool lawbreaker any more inclined to toe the line. They're just as likely to say: "It's not worth the effort being good if I'm going to lose my licence anyway." This form of sanction is surely indicative of the British desire for fair play at all costs. 'We'll punish you," the LAs seem to be saying, "but not so much that it will hurt" If a haulier is unworthy of holding a full-term licence then why should he have one at all? This argument takes on even more weight as the industry prepares to embrace Continuous Licensing. Under it, you'll either be good and meet the required standards—and have your licence renewed as a matter of course—or you'll be bad and find yourself up before the LA.
1905-1995
ANNEVERS,ARY