Unpaid fines costs J Barrie its 0-licence
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The non-payment of fines, costs and back duty totalling £17,167 has led to the revocation of the licence held by Nantwich-based J Barrie (Plant I Hire). The company has been disqualified from holding an 0-licence for five years.
Barrie, who held a licence for 14 vehicles and three trailers, failed to appear at a Leeds public inquiry before North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell.
The TC said that the company had been convicted of 10 overloading offences in August 1997. Two immediate and eight delayed prohibitions had been imposed on its vehicles, four of which related to speed limiters—in two cases the speed limiter had been interfered with.
In November and December the company had been convicted by Macclesfield magistrates of three offences of failing to return vehicle excise licence discs after cheques in payment had been dishonoured, It was fined £12,075 with £90 costs and was ordered to pay 25,002.92 in back duty. Her information was that those amounts had not been paid and that the convictions had not been notified to the Traffic Area Office.
Bank statements produced showed that the company's overdraft facility had been regularly exceeded and it had Incurred fees for unpaid items on numerous occasions.
The TC said that revocation was the only option. The dishonoured cheques were aggravated by the failure to return the licence discs. The fact that the fines, costs and back duty had not been paid was a flagrant disregard of a court order. These matters went to the very heart of 0-licensing, as they Impacted on road safety, fairness of competition and fitness to hold a licence.
Disqualifying the company, the TC said that she would give Its directors, Frederick and John Lord, an opportunity to make representations about their possible disqualification from holding an 0-licence for a similar period.