Wigton-based Wallace Cuthbert has succeeded in his bid for a fresh PSV O-Licence four years after two previous licences he was involved with had been revoked. This is subject to undertakings that he attends a transport manager’s refresher course and has an independent systems audit in six months’ time
Mr Cuthbert had sought a new two-vehicle national licence before Traffic Commissioner (TC) Simon Evans but was only granted authority to operate one vehicle.
In June 2014, a two-vehicle international licence held by Mr Cuthbert, trading as WLC Travel, was revoked along with a two-vehicle international licence held by WLC Luxury Travel – of which both Mr Cuthbert and his wife had been directors – on grounds of repute.
An application for a licence in Scotland by the company was refused in July 2013 after TC Joan Aitken found that a letter produced giving parking permission was a forgery.
Mr Cuthbert said that at the time of the previous Public Inquiries, he was involved in a custody battle for his granddaughter that had gone on for years; finally, it had come to conclusion four years ago.
He had paid all his attention to that and had not been interested in the business. That led to an attempt to surrender the previous licences. He had since been running a MoT garage. He had no criminal convictions and was booked on a two-day transport manager’s refresher course. He would only be doing school runs if the licence was granted, starting with just one vehicle.
In reply to the TC he said that he accepted the allegations made at the previous Public Inquiries. He agreed that the matters before the Employment Tribunal had affected his repute at that time and he could only say they would never happen again. He employed two members of staff at the moment. He worked hard and had not been in any trouble over the rules. He gave his business 100% now.
After the TC had pointed out that the Scottish TC had implicated him in the forged letter, Mr Cuthbert said that he did not do it and his wife still wouldn’t admit to doing it. He had turned himself around and it would never happen again – he had learnt from his mistakes.
Granting the licence, the TC said that over four years had passed and nothing adverse had occurred since the last Public inquiry.
The loss of repute had not involved road safety and he would consider granting a second vehicle if the audit proved satisfactory.
