Aitken ruled that James and Eileen Howie, who traded as Removals Scotland, obtained an operator’s licence to give their son David employment, but then reverted to a pre-occupation with their own lives.
This was irresponsible and inexcusable, she said, because the operation of commercial vehicles is regulated to prevent harm to others.
An investigation by DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) revealed several issues, including that David Howie drove vehicles without the correct driving licence or the mandatory driver CPC qualification.
His father knew about this and condoned the offences, concluded the traffic commissioner, who also ruled that James Howie lied to DVSA examiners during their investigation.
In a written decision issued after the hearing, sh said: “This is a bad case of outwardly respectable people undermining a regulatory regime that exists to secure road safety. This is a public protection and fair competition jurisdiction.”
And she continued: “I have decided that this is a case for an indefinite disqualification for no traffic commissioner should be swayed into giving any further licences to them.
“Whatever their motivations, their commitment to road safety has been shallow.”