Paul Jones, previously known as Adam Smith, with connections to a number of companies whose licences were revoked, was disqualified from holding a PSV O-Licence for 10 years along with his current company Coach Hire Surrey after that company’s licence was revoked by Traffic Commissioner (TC) Sarah Bell.
The firm with a one-vehicle international licence, had been called before the TC at an Eastbourne Public Inquiry (PI).
In 2015, when revoking the licences held by Eastleigh-based Black Velvet Travel and Newquay-based Western Greyhound, the TC concluded that Mr Jones had been involved in the two companies, though no longer a director of Black Velvet.
The TC directed that should Mr Jones ever apply to be involved in a PSV O-Licence in any guise, the application should be referred to a TC or DTC [routeone/Court Report/2 December 2015].
A front
Last August, in revoking the two six-vehicle licences held by Redhill-based Meritrule and Classic Routemasters, the TC concluded that their directors had been a “front” for Mr Jones.
The TC disqualified Meritrule and its director, Paul Jones’s mother Jane Jones, from holding or obtaining a PSV O-Licence for 10 years. She similarly disqualified Classic Routemasters and its director, Melanie Zetterlund, for three years [routeone/Court Report/12 September 2018].
The TC said that at the end of August 2018 David Harriss, who was the director and transport manager (TM) of the company, made a number of changes to the licence online including deleting himself as TM.
Applications were subsequently received to add Mr Jones as the new TM and initially to change operating centres. A further application was received to increase the authorisation to five vehicles.
The Companies House record shows that Mr Harriss resigned as a director on 28 August 2018 and Mr Jones was appointed on 29 August 2018.
Undeclared conviction
Mr Jones was convicted of possession of counterfeit currency in 2014 and that was not declared on the application forms or on the TM and new director forms.
In the new director questionnaire, Mr Jones stated that he just worked as a 'manager' for Western Greyhound, but the company went into administration after only 12 weeks of him being there and he stayed on to help the administrators secure the sale of most of the assets.
In August 2013, a licence held by BETC was granted and Mr Jones was a director up to 13 March 2014.
In October 2014, a letter was received from a solicitor on behalf of the company stating that it “had become concerned regarding a series of events which have arisen out of the conduct” and “actions taken by a former director… both to discredit… and damage its reputation.”
He went on to state that Mr Jones remained as general manager at BETC after he had resigned as director until 31 July 2014 when he went to Black Velvet Travel. He said that the company had become “concerned about Mr Jones’s conduct and it was investigating a number of allegations relating to the theft of vehicles, parts and money from the company.”
Counts of dishonesty
In April 2014 Surrey ETC applied for a licence. Mr Jones was one of two directors and the nominated TM. The application was to be considered at a PI but the company subsequently withdrew the application and it was dissolved in 2016.
There were some cases where it was only necessary to set out the conduct in question to make it apparent that good repute was lost, a licence should be revoked and an operator put out of business. This case revolved around the honesty and integrity of Mr Jones.
Mr Jones failed to lodge evidence of financial standing in the prescribed manner by the required deadline. He did not bring any evidence in support of his personal rehabilitation measures apart from oral confirmation of completing the community service order imposed. He attached little importance to the detail of the convictions for counts of dishonesty or his sentence, when he was fortunate to escape immediate custody. That was disingenuous, particularly when he remained un-rehabilitated in the eyes of the law.
Compelling evidence
Mr Jones had not brought any evidence in support of the compliance systems moving forward to ensure road safety or any evidence to demonstrate that previous arrangements between his 'brokerage' and Meritrule and other PSV operators were legitimate 'arm’s length' arrangements. It was clear that effectively Mr Jones paid for the company’s licence. There was no goodwill to purchase and the one vehicle purchased was done separately.
The evidence was compelling that the legitimate hard-working industry and the public who were impacted by his conduct and lack of honesty need the mendacious Mr Jones removed. To do otherwise would bring the whole regime into disrepute.
