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Repute Lost for ignoring VOSA requests
A TRANSPORT manager has lost his repute after failing to attend a public inquiry and frustrating attempts by VOSA to carry out a maintenance investigation for six months Nick Jones, the West-Midlands Traffic Commissioner, ruled that John Wilkes, transport manager of John Wilkes & Sons (Transport) of Walsall, had lost his repute. Jones said he would also have looked to disqualify him if he had the power.
The TC revoked the 0-licence and disqualified the company's director, Gary Darling, for one month from holding or obtaining an 0-licence in any traffic area.
He said that Darling, who did not attend the inquiry either, had been "grossly negligent" in his responsibilities The TC was concerned by the failure to meet VOSA's requests to produce records. "It is necessary for me to conclude the operator has not been able to satisfy me as to compliance on the matters raised in the call-up letter," Jones said.
The company was licensed for 12 vehicles and six trailers, with one vehicle in operation.
Nigel Hopwood, a vehicle examiner, told the TC he had made a number of attempts to contact Wilkes over a six-month period, but had been met with "deliberate obfuscation': When Hopwood finally got through to Wilkes' mobile phone, he hung up.
The contact was with Wilkes, because the director, Darling, did not reply to letters, The TC said non-attendance at the inquiry led him to seek more information. A call was answered by Ian Wilkes, son of the transport manager. He said he didn't know where his father or Darling were, but said the firm had closed.