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Manager goes it alone
Page 33
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Transport manager of large operator sees drivers' shortcomings after his employer's licence is cut and wins application for his own.
THE TRANSPORT manager of a company whose licence was curtailed by 17 vehicles in June has won a new live-vehicle licence in his own right after claiming that the decision against his employer had spurred him to "go it alone".
Northampton-based Chris Williamson said that working for a large operator meant accepting many drivers who "hadn't a clue".
Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms was satisfied that the application was not a ploy to get round the curtailment.
International licence Williamson had sought a new international licence for 10 vehicles and 10 trailers before the TC at a Cambridge public inquiry. Williamson was the transport manager of MAN Transport Services, whose licence had been curtailed in June from 47 vehicles and 25 trailers to 30 vehicles and 25 trailers because of breaches of the hours rules and maintenance problems.
The TC said MAN's licence was curtailed from 11 June. On the same day the TrafficArea Office received Williamson's application for a licence. At that time MAN had been operating 39 vehicles. Williamson's proposed operating centre and the maintenance contractor were the same as MAN's.
Williamson said the TC's decision had kick started something he had been thinking of doing for sonic time. The larger the company, the more it was exposed as "for every good driver there were five or six who hadn't a clue". He felt that with a smaller number of vehicles and hand-picked drivers it would he more manageable.
It was something that he wanted to do with a small number of vehicles and MAN was aware of his intentions. The operating centre was around 11 acres and the landlord was trying to locate as many businesses there as possible.
His intention was to resign as MAN's transport manager if he was granted a licence. He would not be silly enough to try and circumvent the MAN decision — his application had nothing to do with MAN Transport.
Asked why he was seeking 10 vehicles. Williamson said he planned to operate up to six vehicles with a margin of four for peaks and troughs. "IL was never my intention,nor the bank's, to hit the ground with 10 vehicles," he added.
Amending the application to one for five vehicles and five trailers to prove that it was not a case of moving vehicles from one licence to another, Williamson said he just wanted to start on his own.
Granting the licence for five vehicles and five trailers, the TC accepted that Williamson was sincere in what he was saying, that the application had been made on his own initiative and that the MAN decision was the spur to-do his own thing".
MANTransport Services is not related to the vehicle manufacturer.