Ex-employee certified licence applications
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• The right of a former employee to certify driving experience on form DGL IB — the application for an hgv driving licence — was disputed before the South Eastern Licencing Authority, Maj-Gen A. F. J. Elm she, last Friday.
At a public inquiry Mr J. A. Hill told the LA that his former transport manager, Mr W. A. Miles. had signed the application forms for two of his former drivers, Mr B. Davis and Mr R. G. New. But Mr Miles was no longer in employment with his company, Hill and Co Ltd, Botley, when he signed them. Further, he said that Mr Miles, though called "transport manager" while in the firm's employment, was fulfilling the role of a freight manager. In this capacity he was not authorized to sign hgv driving licence applications.
In answer to a question from the LA, Mr Hill said that, because his firm had lost so many drivers after they had obtained hgv drivers' licences, he would have insisted on an undertaking from the drivers to remain in his employ before signing the applications. Had they objected he would have refused the certification.
Mr K. S. W. Wiseman, appearing for Mr Davis and Mr New, pointed out that one of the people shown on the form as entitled to certify the applicants' driving experience was the transport manager. This must refer, he said, to the transport manager at the time that the experience was gained.
One of the forms, that referring to Mr Davis, has been signed by Mr Miles with the qualification "transport manager at the time" but that which referred to Mr New had been signed without qualification.
Mr Wiseman submitted that the "certificate in such form as the Minister might require" had been provided.
Mr Miles told the LA that he had asked the LA's office on the telephone if he would be in order in signing the forms and had been told that he could sign.
The LA said that a licence had already been issued to Mr New and that he would confirm the issue of that licence after Mr Hill had said that both men were qualified to receive licences. A licence would also be issued to Mr Davis.