(3 A Cheshire company which is the successor to two
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failed businesses has been given until the end of the year to prove it can operate satisfactorily.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell was considering action against the licences held by Frodshambased Alan Hale for 19 vehicles, and that held by Axmore, also for 19 vehicles, as well as a bid for a new 15-vehicle licence by Lentrol, trading as Axmore. Lentrol is currently operating under interim authority.
David Chant, appearing for Lentrol, said that Axmore no longer existed and the company's 0-licence discs had been surrendered to the Traffic Commissioner.
Hale told the IC that he thought his personal 0-licence had been surrendered in 1997 when he formed Axmore with his two sons, Martin and Jason. He added that he would shortly become bankrupt.
While he had not been a director of Axmore, he had been the major shareholder. However, in Apri11999 Jason told him that he was no longer the company's CPC holder. Drivers and fitters were instructed not to take any notice of him and he was locked out of the building.
Vehicle examiner David Collings said that during a roadside check a vehicle operated by Lentrol had been found to have defective brakes, a defective speed limiter and a tachograph not installed in accordance with the regulations.
In reply to the TC, Collings said that the vehicle had been displaying an Axmore licence disc.
Martin Hale said Axmore had failed due to problems with a major contract. Lentrol had been financed through personal loans taken out by the directors. The Axmore licence discs had been left in the vehicles because Lentrol was trading in that name.
Jason Hale, Lentrol's nominated transport manager, maintained that his father had always been Amore's CPC holder; his brother would become Lentrol's CPC holder when he passed the examination.
The IC revoked the Alan Hale and Axmore licences, and disqualified the latter company from holding an 0-licence, saying the directors had taken a cavalier attitude to the licensing system. She concluded that Axmore and Lentrol were interchangeable and that Jason Hale had not been an honest witness.
The Lentrol application hearing was adjourned until December.