Repute in question over trading on old 0-licence
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Traffic Commissioner considers case of haulier who continued trading while using collapsed firm's 0-licence.
A TRAFFIC COMMISSIONER says he needs time to consider the repute of a haulage boss who continued to trade using the 0-licence of his old company, which had collapsed.
Philip Brown, South East and Metropolitan Area TC. told a public inquiry in Eastbourne. East Sussex, that he had to give "considerable thoughtto the new application for a licence from Len Allday. director at Harrow based United Pallet Network (London), for six vehicles and three trailers, before giving his decision in writing.
Allday had run transport firm Amacourt, based in Harrow, which had been operating with eight vehicles and three trailers, until it went into administration in September 2009.
The company had run up a deficit of more than £300,000 after losing several major customers. Allday told the hearing he had been advised by the administrators that under their guidance. he could set up a new company to continue trading, initially using the 0-licence of the collapsed firm.
He said: "I was running trucks to save the jobs of 15 drivers and office staff and pay off my personal debts."
The TC expressed concern that Allday's trucks had been running without displaying licence discs.
He added: "You realise that your trucks wouldn't have been insured to drive, not having the appropriate licence? At any stage VOSA could have come and impounded all your vehicles."
Allday added that in November 2009, he had asked a firm of transport consultants to prepare a new 0-licence application.
However, in December, he had been diagnosed with a non-malignant tumour, which meant that he was mostly confined to his house.
According to Allday, he later realised the consultants had not processed the application in the way he wanted, which meant he was continuing to trade on the outdated 0-licence.
Brown said he would release a written decision in the next few weeks.