Controlled Revocation Keeps Restricted Licence Operator In Business at Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry

This operator, represented at Public Inquiry by barrister Harry Bowyer, had been operating for 10 years in a manner that was far from compliant. This was laid bare at a DVSA visit in 2023 and a subsequent Desk Based Assessment in 2025. The operator had made some efforts to find a competent Transport Manager but had spent a good deal of time sifting through the rogues who applied for the position. He found a competent and willing Transport Manager just before his call in. When he was called in he contacted SBC who put him and his new TM in contact with a competent Transport Consultant who began to fix the systems. It was pretty apparent that the licence as it stood was unlikely to be allowed to continue and the submission was made to the Traffic Commissioner that the Operator was in a far better position than he had been before and the TC accepted that the deficiencies were incompetence rather than malice or greed. The TC felt compelled to revoke the licence but allowed an effective date of revocation with sufficient time for the operator to continue to operate whilst a new Standard National Licence was applied for and granted.