News

The licence held in the North Western Traffic Area by Sheerness-based Al-Le Logistics Northern has been revoked with immediate effect, and the company has been disqualified from holding or obtaining an O-licence for an indefinite period.

The company, which holds a licence for 10 vehicles and 10 trailers, and is based in Southport, had been called before the North Western Traffic Commissioner, Beverley Bell, because of concern over vehicle maintenance; a failure to operate from its authorised  operating centre and a failure to notify convictions.

Vehicle examiner David Hartness said that after failing to get an appointment to carry out a maintenance investigation, he was phoned by Alan Bennett, the father of directors Darren and Ryan Bennett. Alan (CHECK) Bennett said he owned the land at Southport and that the company no longer operated from there. Hartness had never seen the company's vehicles and that he did not know where they were. All the annual vehicle tests appeared to have been done at the Gillingham Test Station.There was a 30.7% roadside prohibition rate and a 75% annual test failure rate.

The TC said that a company search revealed that the maintenance contractor, Technique Commercials, was based in Sheerness and that a director of that company was Alan Bennett.

Former transport manager Jason Bunce said that he had only been the company's transport manager for two months. He decided to leave after Ryan Bennett missed an appointment with  VOSA. He had never received any money and, as a result, he never went to Southport. He had been in the office in Kent alongside Ryan Bennett. He had asked Ryan Bennett if he could look at the tachograph records but never saw one. He had no involvement with the Southern company Al-Le Logistics. When he resigned, he was told that Ryan's uncle, Chris, was the new transport manager, but Chris Bennett denied this

Repute retained - just

The TC considered Bunce had retained his repute as a transport manager, but only just, by resigning when he could not fulfil his obligations as the CPC holder.