DTC Simon Evans grants Manchester-based operator new licence despite family history of licence revocation
Sumair Chohan, a number of whose family had their restricted licences revoked by Traffic Commissioner (TC) Beverley Bell, has succeeded in his bid for a national licence.
Sumi Travel, Whalley Range, Manchester, whose sole Director is Sumair Chohan, was seeking a new six-vehicle national licence before Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) Simon Evans but was only granted authority for three vehicles.
Last year TC Beverley Bell revoked the two-vehicle restricted licences held by other members of the Chohan family, Tariq Mehmud Chohan, trading as TC Travel; his wife Salma Chohan, trading as S&S Minibuses; and their son Adnan Mehmud Chohan, trading as AC Travel; believing that the O-Licensing system was being subverted as effectively there was only one operation run by TC Travel Services Ltd.
Holding that Tariq Chohan had lost his repute, she said she was satisfied that the whole enterprise of TC Travel Services and the operation of all six vehicles was controlled and run by Tariq Chohan. He was the brains of the business.
She was satisfied that he knew that for one entity to operate more than two vehicles a national licence was needed. She was satisfied that he allowed members of his family to apply for licences that they were not in fact going to operate. He was willing to allow that O-Licence deception to continue by a new application being made by his other son, Sumair and that there would be no intention for Sumair to operate the vehicles.
The licence application by Sumair Chohan was withdrawn before it came to Public Inquiry. Subsequently an application by the company of which Sumair Chohan was a Director but not a shareholder, for a 10-vehicle national licence was refused by DTC Miles Dorrington because of its association with his father Tariq who was a shareholder [routeone/court report/6 July 2016].
After DTC Evans had said he needed to be satisfied that Sumair Chohan had the repute to hold a licence, proposed Transport Manager (TM) Raymond Brigdon said that Sumair had not been a Director of that company at the time the other family members’ licences were revoked. Following the revocation, Sumair decided he wanted to seek his own licence.
Sumair Chohan said that the plan was to apply for school contracts and do contract work for Greater Manchester Council and Rochdale Borough Council with the two minibuses currently in possession.
In reply to the DTC, he said that he had no previous involvement in PSV operation but he had been on a PSV O-Licence awareness course in August. He had been working as a hackney carriage driver when the illegal operation took place. He had not driven any of the family’s minibuses.
The Manley Road address was his home – it was a big house and he had office space there. He was the sole shareholder in Sumi Travel. Maintaining that he was not a front for his father, he said that Tariq was working as a taxi driver and would have no connection with his business. He would have no say in how the company was run.
After the DTC had pointed out that Tariq Chohan had some interest because of an interest free loan for a period of five years to the company, Sumair Chohan his father had chosen a different career path now. His mother Salma was not involved at all and his brother was working as an accountant and would have no involvement.
Pointing out that it was criminal offence to make false statements in the licence application form, the DTC said that Sumair Chohan had answered ‘no’ to the questions on whether he had been involved in previous licence applications or had an application refused. Mr Chohan said that he had misunderstood the wording of the section on the form.
Mr Brigdon said that he would resign as TM if he found that Tariq was involved in any way.
Granting the licence for three vehicles with an undertaking that Tariq Chohan would have no role whatsoever in the operation of vehicles under the licence, not even as a driver, the DTC said that he was not visiting the past sins of his family on Mr Chohan.
He would be prepared to consider granting more vehicles prior to September to enable him to apply for school contracts. However, Mr Chohan was on trial and he would need some positive history before then.
