Joan Aitken criticises applicant who produced false documents to suggest he had a valid licence.
Traffic commissioners take their role as gatekeepers to the haulage, bus and coach industries very seriously.
They know that compliant operators like you expect unscrupulous practices to be dealt with – because they can affect your business.
Tackling the disreputable operators who want to get a licence is just as important as taking out those who don’t stick to the same rules you do.
In a recent case, Scotland’s Traffic Commissioner turned down a haulier’s application because he used the names of genuine operators to convince others he had permission to run vehicles.
Miss Aitken said the Dundee based sole trader did this “for his own devious purposes”.
The applicant had no place within goods vehicle operation, she added.
He gave copies of search records for licences to a construction company to make them believe he had a valid operator’s licence.
But the documents were false.
The applicant misled the company into giving him work – taking it away from legitimate and compliant hauliers.
Miss Aitken concluded that the sole trader had offended against fair competition and road safety.
