Revocation changed to suspension
Page 19
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A GOOLE haulier, Mr. J. Patterson, whose licence had been revoked after twice failing to appear at disciplinary inquiries and whose case was remitted back on appeal (CM Nov 22), had his licence suspended for one month at Leeds last week.
He appeared before the Yorkshire Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. N. F. Moody, who said he had to consider convictions including unauthorized use of a vehicle, driving without a hgv driving licence and failure to keep proper drivers' records. In addition unsatisfactory maintenance had led to S69 proceedings in January, 1972, when no action was taken.
Mr. Patterson said that' the unauthorized use conviction arose because, as a matter of expediency, he had pleaded guilty by letter. If the case had been defended it could not have been proved as it concerned a vehicle to be specified on his licence (authorizing three vehicles and two trailers) and was within the 28 days permitted for this. However, it was in fact never specified as it prgved troublesome and was disposed of.
The records convictions arose when his brother-in-. law failed to enter starting times, in error, when he was away on holiday. These were very minor offences and there was no question of trying to fiddle records or a failure to keep them.
The DLA said the Transport Tribunal had indicated that they did not consider the offences as unimportant and Mr. Patterson had been altogether too loose in his attention to business matters. A sharp penalty was required to make it clear that all the requirements of the Transport Act must be complied with.