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Haulier fails in bid to Dbtain new 0-licence

7th May 2009, Page 22
7th May 2009
Page 22
Page 22, 7th May 2009 — Haulier fails in bid to Dbtain new 0-licence
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Keywords : Business / Finance

The Traffic Commissioner questioned whether she could trust a haulier who ran a firm on a defunct 0-licence.

A HAULIER WITH 30 years' experience, who claimed he didn't know it was wrong to run a company on the 0-licence of a business that had shut down nine years ago, has lost his bid for an 0-licence for a new operation.

Liverpool Airport-based Land Air. which was trading as Overnite European International Express, had applied for an 0-licence for eight vehicles and two trailers. The North-Western Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell, revoked the licence held by the previous firm, Overnite European Express International, which was dissolved in May 2000, and reserved decision on the new firm's application ('Veteran haulier used defunct 0-licence', CM12 March).

In her written decision, the TC said a maintenance investigation revealed that there were no inspection records for two vehicles, and that inspection

frequencies stretched to 15 weeks on one occasion. Three quarters of vehicles failed at annual test.

There were nine stages when director David Hughes could have notified Bell's office of the true position, but he had failed to do so.

Hughes admitted the continuation fee for the previous business's licence had continued to be paid. He also admitted that, as a new firm, Overnight Europe had expanded, so he tried to apply for an increase in authority on the old entity. The bank statements submitted for Overnight Europe were not accepted.

As a result, he had tried to change the name of Overnight Europe to Overnight European International Express as a period of eight years had elapsed since the liquidation had taken place.

The examiner had been told by Hughes that none of the vehicles were being operated, and that while they were taxed, they were not insured.

Hughes also revealed that one of the vehicles had been used and that insurance would be required. An examination of driver defect reports and safety inspection sheets that were produced showed discrepancies that led to serious concerns about the records themselves The driver defect reporting system was little more than a paper exercise, with no real or very little meaning.

Hughes changed the entity of his operation on more than one occasion without telling the TC's office, yet he continued to operate the vehicles under the guise of an entity that no longer existed. The subsequent display of 0-licence discs in the vehicles was nothing more than a sham.

He had deliberately misled the TAO during the eight-year period by purporting to change the name of one company to that of one he knew had gone into liquidation.

Hughes had formed a number of companies all with similar names, and she was sure this was done to make it appear to all those with whom he was dealing with that the same entity was trading, when, in fact, it was not.

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Locations: Liverpool Airport

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