Coach & Bus UK gives an insight into a Public Inquiry with replication of a real case
The Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Karen Tiley appeared before Traffic Commissioner (TC) Nick Denton on the first day of the show.
She played the part of a sole Director and Transport Manager (TM) in the mock Public Inquiry (PI) held in The Theatre, giving operators who have never had the misfortune to be called before the TC a chance to see how it works.
Supported by Backhouse Jones solicitor Laura Hadzik, Ms Tiley, of ‘Tiley’s Travel Ltd’, with an O-Licence for 11 vehicles, was said to have attended three previous PIs in the last 12 years.
At the last one in December 2018, she had given undertakings to have her business audited and to take refresher TM CPC training. She apologised for not having stuck to the undertakings, saying: “I’m so busy with the business.”
After the TC’s rigorous interrogation of Ms Tiley, MC Dave Guest asked the audience if they thought she should have her licence curtailed, suspended or revoked. Most audience members said revoked.
The TC agreed. Summing up the case, he pointed out that as well as the failure to fulfil undertakings, Ms Tiley had committed the serious infringement of operating a vehicle without an MoT, had not downloaded data from both driver tachograph cards and vehicle units, had a very low MoT first time pass rate, and drivers were not conducting walk-round checks properly.
He pointed out this was her fourth PI and said he’d only held back from revocation at the last PI because of the undertakings to have refresher training and an audit.
“You didn’t do either of those things. I can’t trust any assurances you’re making today.”
He also held that she’d lost her repute as a TM and disqualified her from acting as such for four years. He said she must pass a fresh TM CPC before becoming one again.
While Karen Tiley is in reality wholly innocent of these infringements, the mock PI case was based on a real PI.
