Repute appeal lost
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A SOUTH WALES coal haulier who argued that a Deputy Licensing Authority was wrong to find him of bad repute and without appropriate financial standing, had his appeal dismissed by the Transport Tribunal.
Herbert Morrison held an operator's licence for 18 vehicles, with 12 specified, and three trailers at Neath in West Glamorgan, which was revoked at a public inquiry in February by South Wales DLA Ivor Pugh.
Mr Pugh had taken the action after he considered that with 15 convictions in the 13 months before February 1984 — mostly for operating some of his lorries without excise licences — and with £46,000 of debts, Mr Morrison was not of good repute nor of appropriate financial standing.
Despite arguments from Mr Morrison's counsel, Roger Cradick, the Transport Tribunal dismissed the appeal against the DLA's decision, and ordered that the revocation should cornmence from June 1.
Mr Cradick had said that while the convictions were before the miners' strike, in 1983, Mr Morrison had been compelled to move depot and build a new garage at high cost. Then the pit strike had paralysed his work, allowing only one of his 12 vehicles to remain in action.
Now seven of the vehicles are working, and the situation has improved considerably since the strike ended, Mr Cradick argued.
Mr Cradick said that the DLA had failed to take into account Mr Morrison's previous good repute and asked the Tribunal if the DLA was really justified in saying that his good repute had gone forever.