No transport manager spells no 0-licence
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• The lack of a professionally competent transport manager could result in the forced sale of a South Wales skip hire company.
The company, Ring-a-Bin was called to disciplinary proceedings before South Wales Licensing Authority John Mervyn Pugh last week, when its application to add two vehicles to its existing three-vehicle licence was also being considered.
Director Gareth Proctor said that when he bought the company for more than £40,000 last November it was on the understanding that the person then holding the Certificate of Professional Competence was to stay with the company — but the CPC-holder had left. Proctor had arranged to take a CPC course in April himself, but had had to cancel it due to pressure of work. The next available date was in September this year.
In reply to Mervyn Pugh, Proctor agreed that he had not realised the importance of the nominated transport manager when he bought the company. Asked what would happen if he failed to obtain his CPC, Proctor said that he was advertising in the local job centre but noone had applied for the post. He agreed he would have to sell the business if he failed the exam and was unable to employ a CPC holder.
Proctor added that he was offering a salary of £140 a week, and Mervyn Pugh commented that that was perhaps the reason there had been no enquiries for the position.
Questioned about maintenance, Proctor said he had inherited two vehicles that had attracted prohibitions. They had now been replaced by newer vehicles costing £17,000. He agreed that there were no inspection records for the vehicles, but said that he had spent 24,000 plating them. He was new to the business and was being advised by the company's fitter.
Granting the addtional vehicles, but adjourning consideration of disciplinary action until the licence expires in Novem ber, Mervyn Pugh said that gave the company a further period of grace to obtain a professionaly competent transport manager. He commented that Proctor appeared to have had no idea of what was required when he bought the business.
For the future, he required the company to have its vehicles inspected every three weeks, with a flow chart showing when inspections were due, and a daily nil defect reporting system for its drivers.