Slough-based Euromar has succeeded in its fourth bid for a one-vehicle international licence after Traffic Commissioner (TC) Kevin Rooney was satisfied about the repute of sole Director Marek Orzechowski.
The firm had been called to a Bristol Public Inquiry (PI) because of concerns over finance, repute and professional competence.
Mr Orzechowski was the sole director of Polski Express Transport which twice in 2010 sought a five-vehicle international licence. Those applications were withdrawn by Central Licensing Unit (CLU) as the application fee failed and could not be processed.
In 2014 and 2016 Euromar sought a one-vehicle international licence. Both applications were refused on financial grounds, decisions upheld by the Upper Tribunal on appeal [routeone/Court Reports/5 August 2015 and 19 April 2017].
In April the TC ordered Euromar and Mr Orzechowski to pay £125 after they failed to attend a PI into its third application for a licence [routeone/Court Report/23 May].
The TC held that the firm met the financial requirement after receiving an undertaking relating to finance and was satisfied that professional competence would be met after Mr Orzechowski, who acquired his CPC in Poland in 2004, undertook to attend a refresher training course.
Consideration of whether Mr Orzechowski met the requirement to be of good repute was adjourned by the TC for him to take legal advice and make representations in relation to a decision by the First-tier Tribunal (Tax) on 14 August 2013.
It had rejected his appeal against a decision of HMRC refusing to return a vehicle that had been seized after it was found smuggling 32,760 cigarettes into the country on which excise duty had not been paid [routeone/Court Report/5 September].
The TC granted the firm’s application after being satisfied by representations made by Mr Orzechowski and a response from HMRC. The grant was subject to two undertakings; namely that Mr Orzechowski attend an established two-day TM refresher course by 30 November 2018 and that the company would provide evidence to demonstrate financial standing in April and October 2019.
