Disqualification for 'token nature' of job SOUTH EAST traffic commissioner
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(TC) Nick Denton has disqualified a transport manager indefinitely for the "token nature" of his involvement with the 0-licence holder.
At a public inquiry in March in Eastbourne into the repute and professional competence of transport manager David Tighe, the TC was told how he had offered licence holder Gary Prescott a package for transport manager services through his business, MCT Consultancy.
It included one on-site visit each month, a weekly monitoring service, advice on compliance, telephone and email support and tachograph analysis.
However, Denton heard that: • Tighe failed to notify the TC about a conviction and prison sentence given to the operator; • he failed to attend the operating centre after May 2012, despite continuing to be the CPC holder on the licence until his resignation in November; • there was no evidence of any direct involvement in the operator's activities by Tighe; • Tighe's planned visit to download data from the vehicle's tachograph unit never took place; • he didn't tell Prescott that he had resigned from his role.
The TC expressed concern at the absence of any oversight of maintenance and driver walkaround checks in the package.
He added: "The package was insufficient to fulfil the requirement that the transport manager 'continuously and effectively' manage the transport activities of the business."
Summing up The TC concluded that given the failure of Tighe to ensure proper oversight of maintenance and drivers' hours, the loss of repute was "entirely appropriate".