Operator Avoids a Revocation by the “Skin of his Teeth.”

Martin Smith represented an Operator with a Restricted Licence at a Public Inquiry.

The operator company had acquired and operated an HGV prior to the grant of its application for an Operator’s Licence. It had also arranged for the vehicle to be specified on the licence of another operator. Following the grant of its application the company initially specified the vehicle on its own Operator’s Licence but subsequently removed it, again using the licence of the other operator. This was done to enable another vehicle which the company neither owned nor operated to be specified on its licence.

The Traffic Commissioner explained that she had ample evidence to revoke the licence. In the circumstances, however, she ordered that the company’s licence be suspended for approximately 6 weeks. She explained to the director of the company that he had survived a revocation “by the skin of his teeth”.