A father's repute is put at risk by his son's business
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A MAN WHO was transport manager for his son's unlawfully operated business must wait to learn if he will be stripped of his repute.
Robert Whittaker had been nominated on the fivevehicle licence held by his son Lee, based in Ellesmere Port and trading as Fastchill. The Fastchill licence was revoked in June, and Lee Whittaker had been Jisqualified from holding an 0-licence for five years bllowing convictions for hours and tacho offences.
Now North-Western Traffic Commissioner Beverey Bell is deciding if Robert Whittaker has lost his -epute as a transport manager.
Robert Whittaker said that although he was not .equired to be nominated on the 0-licence of his :urrent employer. it was a condition of his employnent that he hold a CPC. It had been an unfortunate :pisode with his son — he should have followed his nstincts and not become involved, but he found it difficult not to help his son. They had fallen out after a public inquiry in 2001 when vehicle maintenance was an issue, and he had told his son that he was withdrawing his name from the licence.
1 lowever, he had given his son until the end of last year, as he assumed he was going to wind up the business. The 'IC said the traffic examiner had gained the impression that the father was running the business; Robert Whittaker said he was responsible for sales.The running of the vehicles and drivers had been down to his son.
Asked why he had not noticed the problems that had led to the convictions, Robert Whittaker said he had not checked the tachograph records sufficiently. He accepted that lie had failed in his responsibilities as transport manager.
1 le denied lying to the traffic examiner but admitted he did not tell him everything.