Bankrupt manager stays
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• The Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner, Ian Fowler, has
revoked the Operator's Licence held by Royston-based AD Continental, but decided that a bankrupt who had acted as its transport manager need not be disqualified from 1-okli lig a licence.
The Hertfordshire firm had been called before the Deputy Commissioner at a Cambridge disciplinary inquiry because of concerns over its repute and financial standing.
Fowler said the company was granted an international licence for four vehicles in 1996. Its licence application stated that the company's sole director was David Roy Miller.
However, checks with Companies House named a Leslie Sharman as director. There was no mention of Miller, said the Deputy Commissioner.
In addition, the checks revealed that no annual return or statutory accounts had been filed for 1996.
Miller said he had worked as the company's transport manager but had left some while ago. He did not think AD Continental was still going.
The company had run two
vehicles but got into debt after losing its main contract. He sold one vehicle and took over the other vehicle himself, settling all the company's debts.
After Miller had said he was there to save his licence, Fowler pointed out that the licence was in the name of AD Continental. If Miller wanted a licence in his own name he would have to apply for one.
Miller said he could not put the licence in his own name as he had been bankrupt.
Asked why he had signed the company's application form, which stated that he was its sole director, Miller said that he did not know. He agreed that the statement in the application form was untrue. There was not a lot that he could say about that, said Miller.
He had been approached to go in with AI) Continental after being made bankrupt. He took responsibility for the vehicles and the work; he got it out of trouble, paid off all its debts and then finished with it.
He felt he had been used by AD Continental and was still suffering for it. He also pointed out that he could not read or write.
"There are a lot of people out there, hauliers, who go out to fleece the public—but I'm not one of them." he said.