Restricted Licence Holder Keeps Licence Following Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry

This operator, represented at Public Inquiry by barrister Harry Bowyer, ran into difficulties when a competent employee left the business. His replacement was more impressive in talk rather than action and standards began to slip. The drivers took advantage of the lack of oversight and began to skimp on their daily defect inspections and the missing mileage began to accumulate as they either pulled their cards or failed to insert them.

The matter came to a head when a driver was stopped and prosecuted for multiple drivers’ hours infringements. The company took matters in hand and employed a new head of logistics who began to improve matters. When the call in letter came SBC recommended that the company commission an audit which revealed where the weaknesses still lay and these were properly addressed by the company.

The Traffic Commissioner was satisfied that the company was back on track and allowed the licence to continue with a temporary curtailment of the margin to address the regulatory failings.