No overdraft no licence
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• A Telford operator must arrange an overdraft facility or face losing his licence.
Gerald Jones, trading as GB Transport Services, admitted that he didn't have the money to pay fines, costs and back duty of £920 in full, when he appeared before West Midland Traffic Commissioner John Mervyn Pugh at a Birmingham disciplinary inquiry The case had been adjourned in April to await the outcome of pending prosecutions.
For Jones, Michael Carless said an allegation of the fraudulent use of an excise licence had been withdrawn before the Ipswich magistrates Although there had been a photocopy of a tax disc in the windscreen, Carless maintained that Jones had not known at the time that there was anything wrong with the tax disc itself as he did not know a cheque had bounced.
The CPS had accepted that there had not been any fraudulent intent. Carless added.
The other offences at Ipswich related to the appalling state of a vehicle which had led to a threepage prohibition notice, said Carless. At the time Jones had suffered an injury playing soccer and could not drive. He had recruited a driver who turned out to be absolutely dreadful and had abused the vehicle. The magistrates had been satisfied with this and had given Jones an absolute discharge. The £920 related to the vehicle being untaxed.
After Jones had said that the £920 had not been paid in full as he had insufficient funds and it was being paid off by instalments, Mervyn Pugh said that if Jones had insufficient funds there was no way that he could continue as an operator. If he did not have the money to pay the fine he could not comply with the financial requirements of the act.
Jones said he was just operating one vehicle, using a self-employed driver and operated without an overdraft, paying his bills as he went along.
Adjourning the proceedings until 5 December, Mervyn Pugh said Jones would need an overdraft of around £4,000.