Operator gets final warning
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A West Yorkshire company which
operated illegally for up to four months after its licence was revoked must wait until midApril to see if it will be granted a fresh licence.
Hartshead Haulage appeared before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe to apply for a new licence for three vehicles and eight trailers based at Wakefield. The company's previous licence for 12 vehicles and seven trailers was revoked last October following problems with maintenance, illegal parking and financial standing.
For the company, Paul Carless said managing director Henry Monks had misunderstood comments about the possibility of an interim licence and had been operating on a much reduced scale since the current application had been lodged. Monks, he added, was a sadder, wiser and poorer man. If a licence was granted. Monks "would be starting with a yellow card".
Carless declared. "Another bad tackle and he is out."
Letters had been given to the company's drivers making it clear that any driver who parked where he should not would be dismissed. There was adequate parking space at the proposed operating centre and the maintenance contractor had been changed since the last public inquiry.
The Deputy TC said his main worry was that three convictions had not been disclosed with the application.
Monks said he had thought the question on the application form related to convictions for things like theft. In the past he had run a big fleet and he had been soft on his drivers. He felt he would be able to manage three vehicles much better. He denied receiving a letter from the Traffic Area warning that, following the revocation, he had no authority to operate any vehicles, adding that he thought "interim' meant he could operate until the licence application was dealt with.
Adjourning the hearing, and refusing to grant interim authority to operate. the Deputy TC said he was far from satisfied the unauthorised use was accidental. The only thing that had saved Monks's repute had been his open and unequivocal admission.
He said he would be prepared to grant a licence on the production of a maintenance contract, a letter of intent about maintenance and satisfactory financial information.