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lam writing in response to the Commercial Motor article with
Page 38
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regard to a Public Inquiry presided over by David Dixon, Traffic Commissioner for the West Midland Traffic Area, when an 0-kcence application for Messrs H Singh Dec and G Singh Bhandal was refused on the grounds that I would be unable to fulfil the role of nominated part-time transport manager on this licence.
While accepting that you reported accurately the points which you chose to extract from the TC's report, I do feel that the article was unbalanced in that some important comments which Mr Dixon made at the Public Inquiry were omitted.
As a responsible and reputable part-time transport manager I should like to say that I share the concerns raised by the TCs in their 2001annual report with regard to agency transport managers.
i know that it is the case that some of these people may simply provide a name on a licence and not ensure that the operators fulfil the conditions of their Operator's Licences.
At no time during the inquiry did Mr Dixon give any indication that he felt I was such a transport manager—the application was rejected by him on the grounds that I would be unable to provide "the continuous and effective responsibility" required by a CPC holder. The TC arrived at this decision as he felt that I could not do this because of the geographical spread of the operators for whom lam already responsible.
In his report on the Inquiry the IC stated that he was "satisfied that Mrs Owen is both of good repute and professionally competent.., Indeed I have no reason to doubt the abilities of herself or her husband in their activities pursued through their consultancy".
Mr Dixon also commented that the applicants "had told me that as new entrants to the industry they found the Owens to be very helpful".
Some of our clients hold their own CPCs but choose to use our services because they feel that our transport expenence and ability to liaise closely with vehicle providers/insurance companies and the various Traffic Area Offices is invaluable to them and provides them with a web of support.
In fact, when referring to the consultancy business in which both land my husband are involved, the final paragraph of the TC's report read: "In reaching my decision, I emphasise that no criticism of the Owens as individuals is intended. They and others.., provide a valuable service as advisors to operators. Long may they continue to do so."
I do feel that the points mentioned in the previous two paragraphs ought to have been included in your report in order to provide an accurate and balanced record of the
OWNERDRIVER DILEMMA
proceedings, and also to convey an awareness that we are a professional organisation. Pam Owen, Owen Logistics Consultancy, Swindon, Editor's reply: Commercial Motor plans to feature the use of CPC holders provided by consultants in the near future.
I write in response to the letter sent by David S Boyes (28 March-3 April). As an exconcrete mixer owner-driver, I do not understand how the quarrying/concrete companies are still able to operate with this tax situation. As David points out, if there was money to be made in hauling the product, the companies would do it themselves.
How you can be classed as self-employed when you are told where and when to start and where and to whom you must take the load—you have no say in the job at all.
To cap it all, in a lot of cases you have to buy the truck through these companies. Prospective owner drivers be warned, you will not make your fortune in this game—all you do is buy yourself a job, along with enough debt to buy a small house.
Paul Smith, Chemical Drive/The.
DIABETES INJUSTICE
Many thanks for the teaLre diabetes (11-17 April). This is the kind of publicity which is needed to highlight this "injustice". I myself had my Class 2 licence revoked some seven years ago, due to the onset of insulindependent diabetes mellitus. I have tried ever since, unsuccessfully, to get it back.
I have written to MPs, MSPs. MEPs. DVLA, DTLR and Diabetes UK, all of whom were sympathetic but, with the exception of Diabetes UK, were of no help at all. All want is for the individual assessment, which is now employed for Cl licences, to be extended to C+E category. Taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights would, I fear, be an expensive exercise—out of reach of most affected drivers given their financial capabilities.
We are now expected to wart patiently for the results of some promised research program, which will realistically take at least three years from now to complete and will then undoubtedly take another age for "data analysis". It's time NOW to change the rules and stop this discriminatory behaviour towards a small minority group. BeY Grakik vie e-mail.
IT MAKES ME SICK
Your article on sick pay! CM 410 April) fails to grasp that if a driver is off sick, as an employer, I have to pay someone else to replace him.
That means I have to make up the extra money his sickness costs from my own purse. How is that 'fair?
'I employ eight people. At the end of the year, after all the hassle, learn a tiny bit more than them. Nobody pays me if I'm off ill, not even the basic wage you consider so miserable—not even statutory sick pay (which incidentally I pay, not the government), The government very generously gives a day off for the Queen's Jubilee. I'm a mean man if I don't pay everyone for that day. so it costs me over a week of my wages!
"A decent living" works both ways, I'm entitled to one too. Your article was very blinkered. John West