Biker faces threat over its 0-licence
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M The haulier tipped to win a controversial British Steel contract taking freight from rail to road faces a new fight to keep its 0-licence, following the conviction of its owner for tachograph fraud.
Bosses from AJ Biker of Leyburn, Yorkshire have been ordered to appear at a disciplinary inquiry before North East Licensing Authority Frederick Whalley. Managing director Anthony Biker was jailed for nine months two weeks ago for falsifying tachograph records.
Biker, which has a licence for 28 vehicles and 30 trailers, was favourite to win the British Steel contract for 9,000 tonnes of limestone a week — about 60 truck loads a day — previously carried by rail from a quarry in a scenic part of North Yorkshire.
But British Steel has postponed its decision, following uproar from environmentalists and the problems of using a haulier facing serious fraud charges (CM 28 May-3 June).
Anthony Biker's prison sentence is likely to be viewed by the Licensing Authority as breaching the good repute condition of holding an 0-licence. The firm itself, which trades as Bikers of Bedale, was fined £.27,000.