Secondary licence use ends in disqualification
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell believed she was 'hoodwinked when an 0-licence application was made.
AN OPERATOR who allowed his 0-licence to be used by a banned haulier has lost his own licence and been indefinitely disqualified from holding or obtaining an 0-licence in any Traffic Area.
John McGill. trading as Safehands Transport of Oldham, had allowed his licence for eight vehicles and two trailers to be used by the disqualified haulier Stephen Holt. McGill had been called before Beverley Bell, the North-Western Traffic Commissioner, along with Little Hulton-based Carl Bourne, trading as Carl Bourne Tipper Hire, and licenced for two vehicles After revoking the licence held by Holt, trading as Safehands Removals. McGill was granted a licence after giving an undertaking that Holt would have nothing to do with the business In June, the TC refused a bid by Stockfield Storage & Distribution, the directors of which were Holt's daughters. Amanda and Kelly, for a new eight-vehicle national licence after Kelly walked out of the public inquiry (CM 18 June).
Vehicle examiner Steven Ainscow said he had been unable to carry out a maintenance investigation at McGill's site. He was told the vehicles were being operated by Holt from Oldham.
When he visited the Oldham premises he found the six specified vehicles During his visit, a vehicle driven by Bourne, and displaying a licence disc in McGill's name, entered the site. It was inspected and issued with an immediate prohibition. The landlord arrived looking for Holt for payment of rent due.
Ainscow met McGill's transport manager, Raymond Gowan, at a customer's premises, who confirmed that the customer had been using Safehands Transport and that Holt collected payment for those services Since October, three immediate prohibitions had been issued to McGill's vehicles.
Traffic examiner Steven Mackay said he got a phone number for McGill from Bourne. When he spoke to the person claiming lobe McGill, he noted he had a local accent, yet when he had spoken to McGill previously he had a Scottish accent. He felt he might have been speaking to Stephen Holt. Since the investigation began, the registered keeper of the vehicles had been changed from McGill to Stockfield Storage & Distribution.
The TC revoked both licences with immediate effect. She said she was revoking Bourne's licence because of his involvement with both McGill and Holt and because he had allowed a circumvention of the 0-licensing system.
Making the disqualification against McGill, the TC said she might have been hoodwinked by McGill when she granted him a licence believing he was not connected with Holt. She had found Holt to be unfit to operate commercial vehicles and it appeared he had continued to operate using McGill's licence.