News

A Birmingham international haulier has been given 14 days in which to produce financial evidence or have his licence suspended until the information is produced. Birmingham-based R A International (Midlands) and Roger Arnold, trading as R A International, had been called before West Midland Deputy Traffic Commissioner Tim Hayden. Roger Arnold said that he had been a director of the company, which was put into liquidation in August 2007. The other directors were Tracey Bradnock and Lee Arnold.

Richard Arnold, transport manager on both licences, said that they were appealing to the High Court to have the company reinstated and any action by the DTC would be prejudicial to that process. He said he had written to the Leeds Licensing Office last September, saying that he was no longer the company's transport manager. He claimed they had done nothing wrong and that it had been a witch hunt by Customs & Excise. The limited company had been formed because Customs would not issue a bond unless the business was a limited company for the carriage of bonded goods.

Questioned by the DTC, Roger Arnold said that the company did not have any assets. When he saw the insolvency agency, he was told that he could not open any letters or receive any telephone calls to do with the company or face two years in jail. That was why he had not notified the TC of the liquidation. The vehicles belonged to him personally. He had not produced the financial evidence requested showing that  there was £23,500 available to maintain a fleet of six vehicles. The DTC adjourned consideration of action against the sole trader licence to enable the financial evidence to be produced. He revoked the company's licence on the grounds that it currently had no assets.

If an operator cannot meet the statutory financial requirements then a Traffic Commissioner has no option under the legislation other than to revoke the O-licence.