Success at last!! – Long Battle Against Representors Determined to Oppose Operating Centre

A North-Eastern Operator approached Simon Clarke of SBC ending three years of PIs: first an Environmental; then the Appeal and a second Environmental; and finally a Maintenance/Compliance PI.

This Operator sought to increase his fleet. After making the usual application he ran into a storm of local opposition from residents who, bent on refusal, were both more than partisan and economic with the true facts. At a heated Public Inquiry, where the Operator represented himself, the Traffic Commissioner sought a happy medium not realising that he had set himself an impossible task. After the decision was announced the Operator contacted Simon Clarke of SBC, who immediately lodged an appeal against the decision. The appeal was successful and a second PI was ordered. There, our Operator again faced the angry mob who, determined to do him down, seemingly ignored facts unfavourable to them, misrepresented facts and advanced untrue allegations about the Operator’s compliance and Health and Safety record. Nevertheless after robust representation by Simon Clarke the application was this time granted and our Operator gained the increase in vehicle authorisation he needed. That success however carried with it a somewhat bitter aftertaste: a Call-in to a Maintenance and Compliance PI off the back of the resident’s objections in the Environmental. Again represented by Simon Clarke and subject to a few technical difficulties, our Operator ultimately prevailed.