An Okehampton operator that spent 15 years relying on a transport manager in name only has had its licence revoked.

Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney said partnership Martin and Sarah Littlejohns, trading as Messrs Littlejohns, had benefitted from a standard national licence ever since it was issued in 2009, even though there had not been a genuine link between the company and its named transport manager.

The issue came to light after one of its lorries was issued with an immediate prohibition for a bulging tyre that had been caused by a failure of its structure.

A follow-up maintenance investigation was marked as unsatisfactory with shortcomings found in a wide range of areas, including inspection records, driver defect reporting, maintenance arrangements, vehicle emissions, wheel and tyre management, prohibition assessments, load security and transport manager control.

The partnership responded to the report by making assurances and also informing the DVSA that it intended to downgrade to a restricted licence and that transport manager Craig Meaker had resigned.

No evidence was provided showing that Meaker had been paid over the previous six months but, following a further request, the operator finally acknowledged that the transport manager was a friend and had never been paid.

No-one from the company attended the subsequent Bristol public inquiry and so TC Rooney was unable to establish whether it could operate under the terms of a restricted licence and therefore the application to downgrade was refused.

The Western traffic area TC said: “The arrangement at this operator has been non-compliant, seemingly since the addition of Mr Meaker in 2009.

“For fifteen years this operator has benefitted from a standard licence when it ought not to have done.

“It seems Mr Meaker was not conducting the role and simply allowing his name to be used.”

Rooney said in his absence and with no evidence to the contrary, he was forced to find Meaker’s good repute had been lost:

“He is disqualified from acting as transport manager until he takes and passes again his transport manager certificate of professional competence and he appears before a traffic commissioner to explain how the role is to be performed,” he said.

Source: Commercial Motor