'Slippery customer' caught by DTC
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North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe (pictured) described Gateshead-based Liaquat All as "a slippery customer" when he revoked his licence. Ali, who failed to attend the Leeds disciplinary inquiry, wrote to say he wished to terminate his two-vehicle 0licence but the identity discs were mislaid. Vehicle examiner John Johnson said he had imposed an immediate prohibition on the only vehicle he had been able to examine. He had made an appointment to examine the other vehicle but when he arrived he was told it was on a delivery. Another date was set but it never appeared at the test station.
On the third attempt to inspect the vehicle it was locked and Ali said he did not know where the keys were, No maintenance records or driver defect reports were available.
Traffic examiner John Ainley said that after the police asked him to inspect tacho charts, a
driver employed by Ali
was prosecuted and fined £650 with £55 costs for three centre-field offences and two hours offences.
When Ainley asked to see tachograph charts Ali's son had told him he did not know where they were kept. Despite a letter demanding the charts they were never produced.
Revoking All's licence, and giving him 28 days to make representations about why he should not be disqualified from holding an 0-licence for two years, the DTC said: "I regard this operator as a slippery customer who is manifestly unfit to hold a licence."
Ali had not merely failed to understand his obligations as a licence holder, Hinchliffe said; he had shown a cavalier disregard for them. There was no evidence of any maintenance regime. All had been asked to supply financial information but he had not done so.
Hinchliffe commented that it was a waste of public money when operators did not turn up to argue their corner.