0-licence suspended for three months
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THE USE OYAN unauthorised operating centre and going two years without an active transport manager led to a firm's 0-licence being suspended for three months. However, it might be returned sooner if the Traffic Area Office agrees that one of two currently unauthorised sites can be used as its operating centre (C11/124 May).
Onnskirk-based P&D Catering, trading as Robert Pickavance Son, had been called before North-Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Elizabeth Perrett. The DTC accepted an application to downgrade its licence to a restricted one and granted a restricted licence for two vehicles and two trailers in place of the three vehicles and three trailers applied for. The restricted licence was issued to the company's transport manager, John Pickavance, trading as Al Contractors & Plant Hire, even though the DTC had ruled that he had lost his repute as a transport manager. The grant was conditional on the employment of an independent transport consultant within six weeks to help set up systems and ensure drivers were familiar with their responsibilities.
It was not disputed that John Pickavance had not carried out the transport manager's role for his brother Robert's company since 2005.The vehicle had never been parked at the declared operating centre at Burscough. Lanes since Robert had acquired the company He had first parked at a site in Rufford,Eancs and since moved to Preston because of vandalism.
The company was seeking to downgrade its national licence to a restricted licence, which meant it did not require a qualified transport manager