Fresh start after spell as a driver
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A Leeds owner-driver, whose licence was revoked after his transport manager was convicted of smuggling drugs, has been granted a fresh licence.
Robert Campbell, trading as Britannia Transport Services, was seeking a new twovehicle national licence based at the Vanguard Vehicle Services depot in Rothwell, Leeds. He appeared before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna.
Last October a previous licence held by Campbell was revoked by Deputy TC Brian Homer after his CPC holder, Terence Connell, was jailed for eight years for smuggling drugs ( CM15-21 Oct 1998).
For Campbell, Paul Carless said that although Homer had not disqualified Campbell, he had made it plain that there must not be a seamless transition to a fresh licence. As a result, Campbell had been working as a driver for the past four months. He planned to study for his own CPC; until then a Christopher Ferrer would act as his transport manager.
Farrer, of Wicks, Essex, said he was currently the nominated CPC holder on 12 licences in various traffic areas specifying a total of 24 vehicles. He was also transport manager on the 12-vehicle licence held by Rannock Transport Services, of Corby. A previous licence in the name of Rannock had been revoked by Eastern TC Geoffrey Simms (CM 5-11 Nov 1998). Director Graham Bates had since been held to have regained his repute, but it had been decided that both he and Bates should be nominated on the Rannock licence for the next three months.
Farrer did not believe he was "spreading himself too thinly"; he was comfortable with what he was doing. He promised to contact Campbell weekly and to visit him every fortnight.
Campbell admitted that he had not informed the TC when he found out about Connell's conviction, and he had also misled a traffic examiner over this matter. He said the hiatus in his operation had cost him £6,000 to 18,000 Granting the licence, Mulvenna said he felt Campbell was a sadder and wiser man. He had learnt a salutary lesson and it was a hard one.