1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186 
Wallace Thorburn hands over reins
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
After 30 years, a controversial operator has stepped aside in favour of one of his daughters. Mike Jewell and Chris Tindall report.
A CONTROVERSIAL operator whose string of public inquiry appearances for maintenance problems has led to licence revocations and disqualifications is stepping down to enable one of his daughters to run the business.
North-Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell has granted Thorburn International an interim licence to operate under the directorship of Jeanette Thorburn-Warder.
Wallace Thorburn spoke to CM following the latest two-day public inquiry during which he withdrew a licence application in his own name before Bell came to a decision.
Thorburn, trading as Thorburn International Transport, had sought a new international licence for 15 vehicles and 15 trailers. His lawyer, Graham Quigley, said Crown Coldstores & Distribution, for which Thorburn had been transport manager. had its licence revoked and was disqualified last year.
This followed Deputy TC Mark Hinchliffe's finding that Thorburn and his other daughter, Karen Thorburn-Jones, "could not be trusted in the 0-licensing regime" (CM 9 November 2006).
The drivers of this company were kept on in the hope that the TC would grant a licence and they could then be employed by Thorburn.
Bell granted the interim licence subject to a number of undertakings. Thorburn says he doesn't yet know if these conditions will exclude him from any involvement with thc firm, saying: "We've got to find out on that and speak to the solicitor.
"I've been here for 30 years," he adds. "It's time to take a step back and let the youngsters have a go.
Asked why he had submitted an application, he says: "Force of habit. I've been at the front of a company, or myself and my two daughters have, and whether I liked it or not, the position of burden fell on my shoulders, "We've kept everyone in employment throughout all of this and kept up our commitments with fuel companies and financial companies," he concludes. "The drivers to a man have stayed loyal and all our suppliers have stayed loyal to us,