Two-year ban for haulier as inquiry reveals catalogue of offences 07 August 2013

Farrakh Manzoor, who owns a haulage firm in Chigwell, has lost his operator's licence and been disqualified both from operating vehicles and from being a transport manager for two years.

Traffic Commissioner Nicholas Denton ruled that Manzoor's "lamentable" failures had "jeopardised" road safety and that he merited a substantial time away from the haulage business. He also banned him from driving HGVs for a month.

During the hearing, the traffic commissioner was told that Manzoor had: operated three HGVs without insurance; committed drivers' hours offences; operated a vehicle without a valid tax disc; used illegal red (duty-rebated) diesel; failed to keep promises made at a previous public inquiry; and been convicted of using vehicles in a dangerous condition on two occasions.

The inquiry was called to consider evidence from the Metropolitan Police and records held by VOSA (the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) on Manzoor's vehicles.

During the hearing, the traffic commissioner was told about a police encounter in October 2012 where a vehicle was found to be defective. The police officer said that a damaged metal plate covering the wheel nuts could have harmed cyclists or pedestrians.

In another incident, a driver was stopped trying to drive away from a collision. The driver had hit a bollard, which ruptured the vehicle's fuel tank, causing fuel to spill on to the road. The vehicle was not insured and also using red diesel.

"A licence can not survive failure to comply on so many issues at the same time: vehicle fitness, drivers' hours, defect reporting, tax, insurance, and illegal fuel, especially since these failings have been continuing, uncorrected, for several years," said Denton.

"His record as an operator is such that he needs a substantial time away from being a licence holder, in order to reflect what went wrong and, if he wishes to re-enter the industry, start to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to operate in a compliant way."

Mr Denton also made an order against Mr Manzoor's professional competence and repute as a transport manager. He had lost both and therefore would be disqualified for two years from acting a professionally qualified transport manager for any licence holder.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Department for Transport

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